Tale of the Lost HunterNin
by Snowcouger
Summary: 5 Year's after a raging battle, a Konoha ANBU cell stumbles upon one of their own in a little village near the border. There's just one problem with this ninja, he's supposed to be dead. Yaoi/slash, Angst, language
1. Chapter 1

"So when did you last see him?" the hunter-nin asked, holding the picture of his target out for the old shop keeper to see.

"Oh my," she said, thinking. "It's been almost a year since he passed this way. In fact, if memory serves, he should be coming through here sometime in the next few weeks. But I don't understand, he's never done anything to anyone here. In fact, he helped to rebuild our humble village after the last war. Are you sure he's really a rouge ninja?"

"Yes, and a dangerous one at that. At least a Tokubetsu Jounin, if not higher. He may not have ever done anything to hurt anyone here, but he's caused far too much trouble in other areas to just let him walk around freely." The hunter glanced out the door, always wary of his surroundings, "Tell me everything you know about him."

The old shop keeper nodded and reached for a chair to sit in. "It was near the end of the last war when I first saw him. The battles had finally moved on, and we where just beginning the task of rebuilding. I was down near the river, fetching water for the workers when I saw a large tangle of branches, with some bits of odd color thrown in. I went to investigate, and there he was, clinging to them like a raft, face torn open, bleeding like a stuck pig. I managed to pull him out of the water and ran to get help. We brought him to the village and patched him up as best we could. There was no mistaking that he was a ninja, even if he wore no symbol, but we just assumed that it had been torn away by the waters or lost in the battle. He looked enough like a native of the fire country that we assumed he was a Konoha ninja. We where never able to confirm that, because when he woke up it was obvious that he'd lost his memories. He couldn't remember a thing about who he was, where he was from, or about his personal life. Ninja arts, those he remembered, and then we were sure he was a ninja, but there was never anything beyond his accent and general appearance that told us about where he was from. He stayed here for almost a year, recovering. Once he was strong enough, he joined in the efforts to rebuild. We may never have finished if not for him. I remember, he had this one ninjutsu that was very helpful at felling trees and crushing rock."

The hunter stopped her there, "Do you remember anything special about the ninjutsu he used?"

"Oh yes. Never seen anything like it before, and probably never will again. It was like he was holding a typhoon in his hand, the way it swirled and howled. Left an unusual imprint on the rock face when he used it..."

"...Like a giant swirl..." finished the hunter, voice soft and faraway.

"That's it exactly. How did you know?"

The hunter didn't respond at first. Finally, "Because I've seen it before, many times. But that's impossible, there are only three ninja in the world that could use that technique, and all are dead."

"Well, unless there's a similar technique out there, we're thinking of the same jutsu."

"Did he ever tell you what it was called?"

"I'm not even sure he knew at first. It was one of those thing's locked away in his mind. But I do remember, about three years ago, he came back to town and was ecstatic about something. When I finally managed to calm him down enough to understand him, he said something like , 'I can remember it!' When I asked him what he could remember all he would say was, 'Rasengan! It's called the Rasengan!'"

Behind the mask, the hunter's face had blanched to a near translucent white. "That can't be right..."

"It's what he said," stated the woman.

"But then..." the hunter trailed off.

"Are you alright, son?"

Shaking it off, "Yes, yes, I'm fine. You been a major help. Thank you for your time."

"Listen, I know it's the job of a hunter-nin to capture and kill rouges, but let me tell you this. The man you are hunting is not a bad man. I can tell these sort of thing, you know. Maybe in the past he's done terrible things, but he's not that person anymore, even since he's regained some of his memories."

"Ma'am, if I'm right, and the person I'm hunting is who I think it is, then you've just helped to save an innocent man from a very nasty fate. And let me know that I need to call in some serious back up, because he's defiantly not a Tokubetsu Jounin. If I'm right, then he's far stronger then any ANBU hunter we have."

That was enough to shake the shop keepers resolve a bit, "That's a serious thing to say, especially coming from a hunter-nin."

"Yes it is, and I'm not joking when I say it." The hunter, once again looking out through the door, "I must leave now. Again, thank you for your time and information." He bowed and dissapeared.

--

He stood on the hill overlooking the town, watching. It had been nearly a year since he'd come 'home,' and he was looking forward to visiting his friends. He walked with the long, purposeful strides of someone accustomed to traveling long distances for long periods of time. As he grew closer, traffic on the road increased. He knew most of the people he saw, and they all knew him. Every so often he stopped for a quick chat, and even once or twice to hug the small children that adored him, and missed him the most during his long journeys away. The greeting was always the same, "Hunter-nin, Hunter-nin! You're home!" Yes, they all called him Hunter-nin, fore he had no name, none that he could remember anyway. The only clues to his identity where the whisker marks on his face and the Hunter-nin tattoo on his shoulder. He greeted them all with a smile and a hug. Some commented on his appearance, asked if he'd learned anything knew on his journeys. The youngest asked if he'd brought them anything, and he'd always answer the same way, "Of course I did. And you know you won't get it right now, so don't even think about begging." The children would smile at that and finally let him move on.

He finally made it over the final hill and into the fields that the villagers kept. Now it was a constant barrage of, "Welcome back Hunter-Nin!" from the children and women working the fields, and shouts of, "Great timing Hunter-Nin! We were just about to start tilling a new field!" to which he'd just smile and shout back, "Don't I just have the best timing?"

Just as he made it onto the main street of the small village, the old shop keeper walked out, curious to all the noise.

She turned and saw him walking towards her and with a joyous shout of, "Hunter-Nin! You've come home early!" ran and hugged him tightly. "We've all missed you, and I'm glad to see you alive and well."

The man hugged her tightly, "As am I to see you doing so well." The embrace ended and he said, "Tell me Grandma Yuri, how has the village faired since I've been away?"

"All in good time son, all in good time. You look like you haven't had a decent bath in weeks Hunter-Nin. What where you thinking, letting yourself get so dirty. Come inside and wash up, you must be exhausted from your journey." The man nodded and they went inside. He dissapeared for a few minutes to wash the dirt of his face and hands. He came back and sat down in his favorite chair and she brought him a cup of tea. She settled in the chair across from his, "We have plenty of time to hear about this old village. Tell me about you, what kind of fascinating adventures have to been on this time?"

"Oh, just the usual," he said with a grin. "Wondering the continent, looking for anything to jog my memories, doing some work for local lords, taking out the occasional band of highway bandits pretending to be ninja; that sort of thing." He reached into an inner pocket of his traveling clock and pulled out two very full bags, "One's for you, and the other is to help buy the supplies for the new grain silos and tools for the next harvest."

She stared at the bags on the table. Reaching slowly for one, she opened it and gasped. "Hunter-Nin! Where did you get all of it!?"

"Like I said, I've been doing work for some of the local lords. It was nothing major, just a couple of rouge Chuunin from the Cloud village that had been robbing travelers near the castle and trying to pass it off on the lords men. He actually wanted to pay me quite a bit more, and even offered me a job in his service, but I turned it down. He refused to let me leave without taking at least this much," he added waving vaguely at the two bags. "I told him that I really had no use for that much money, but then I thought of you and the village, so I took it and saved it until I came this way. Think of it as repayment for letting me stay with you and tending to my wounds as well as you did."

"Stop with that, Hunter-Nin. There's no debt to be repaid. And even if there was, the help you given us over the years more then makes up for it."

"Still, I want you to have it. I have all the money I'll ever need already, so there's no point in my keeping it. You and the others can put it to better use then I ever could."

"What about replacing that battered old sword of yours, hmm? You could have bought something far better then that old thing."

"Now, grandma, we've had this discussion before. Just because it looks old and beaten up doesn't make it a bad sword. And anyway, if not for this old girl I never would have been able to remember so much."

"There's been more to come back then?"

"Yes, but not as much as I would have liked. Still nothing close to a name, or the village I'm from, but things about my past when I was still a real hunter-nin. Maybe even before that. I finally remembered why this sword was so familiar to me."

"That's great! Tell me, how did you know about the sword?"

"Well, it turns out I fought the last owner. I even managed to get the name of the man."

"Who was it?"

The man laughed, but it was a hallow, humorless sound. "Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist."

Grandma Yuri's eye's bugged, "You fought Zabuza Momochi and won!?"

"I don't think I was the one that finally beat him. It's hazy, but I can almost remember there being others there. A boy, with raven-black hair and cold eyes, and a girl, with hair the color of sakura blossoms and eye's like green-emeralds. There was someone else, and old man, he was a bridge-builder I think. Flashes of silver hair, and the sound of a thousand chirping birds. I think they where part of my team..." He sighed, thinking about the flashes of the memory always annoyed him slightly, because no matter what he did, he could make it any clearer, never get anymore detail.

"What do remember of Zabuza?"

"Lots actually," he said. "I remember he was jerk that treated Haku, that was his assistant/personal hunter-nin, like crap all the time. He was strong, damn strong. I know the first time we fought him, I got my ass kicked. The silver-haired man, who I'm pretty damn sure was my sensei at the time, managed to nearly defeat him. Haku used senbon to 'kill' Zabuza and ended the fight before Sensei could. After that, it's blank until the fight on the bridge. Haku used some kind of weird jutsu, I think it was a Kekke Genkai, looked like we, me and the raven-haired kid, where standing in a giant dome of mirrors. He kept attacking, and we couldn't get out. Finally, the raven-haired kid used some kind of a fire jutsu to try and melt the ice, but that didn't work. Haku nailed him with a serious amount of senbon and I'm pretty sure I though he'd killed him at the time. All I remember after that is a roaring sound and seeing red. Next clear memory is of me standing in front of Haku, his mask laying broken on the ground next to us, and I'm holding him by his robes in the air saying...something...I can't remember what, and crying. Haku told me about his past then, I can't remember most of it, but it gave me a feeling like he and I were the same, like we'd come from a similar background or something. Then Sensei did something, I think it was a summoning jutsu, hearing dogs growling, and the sound of chirping birds filled the air. Next thing I know, Sensei is standing with his arm through Haku's chest, and we're all just standing there in shock, even Zabuza. Haku manages to choke something out and falls, dead. Then Zabuza did something he'd never done before, he praised him. There was a sound from the other end of the bridge, and the fog that surrounded us cleared. There was a small army of men standing there. Zabuza said something to the guy in charge, Sensei said we were no longer hunting Zabuza, and then it's nothing but fighting. Somewhere during the battle Zabuza took a nasty blow, and there was no way to save him. He asked to be placed next to Haku, said something, and died. We buried him and Haku in the forest where we'd first fought them. And that's where I found the sword. We'd buried it to the hilt and left it there as a marker for his grave. After that, it's blank."

"It's no wonder they want you so badly..." she said softly.

The man looked at her, "Who wants me? What happened Grandma Yuri?"

She didn't speak at first. Finally, with a sigh and eyes focused on the table, "There was an ANBU Hunter-Nin from Konoha here earlier today."

The man groaned, "Great... I've been trying to lose them for nearly three months now."

"They've been following you that long?"

"Longer probably. I first noticed one when I was out in Kusa eight months ago. I didn't immediately connect him to following me, but when I saw another one out in the Snow country a few weeks later, I figured they were after me. I ran into one in the tea country a month after that. Since then, I've been trying to lose them. I don't know if it's the same one that's been following me, and I hope it's not, but if they're here then I can stay. I'd just be putting you all in danger."

"Calm down Hunter-Nin. I doubt that you have anything to worry about. The ANBU that was here didn't say anything about trying to capture you while you where in the village. I think he's planning on ambushing you outside, where there's less of a chance of hurting civilians."

"He wouldn't be the first ANBU to lie about something like that."

"Listen, he said he would come back tomorrow. Why don't you use your transformation jutsu and meet him. See what he's like. You were an ANBU Hunter-nin yourself, so you should be able to read his intentions."

The man blinked, "Yanno, for an old shop keeper, you sure are smart Grandma!"

"Well, when you've been around as long as I have, and seen the things I've seen, you learn a thing or two," she said with a laugh and a smile.

A bell at the front of the shop rang, signaling a customer. "Oh, I'll be right back. That's probably Kimiko coming to pick up her order."

--

"Hello there Kimi..." she stopped mid sentence. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you where Kimiko. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for information on this man."

Yuri laughed, "You know, you're the second person today that's come in here asking me about him."

"Am I?"

"Yes, there was another Konoha ANBU Hunter-nin wearing a dog mask in here earlier."

The ANBU in the blank mask nodded, "Thank you for telling me this. I was about to report home that my back-up never arrived." The ANBU bowed politely and left the store. Yuri sighed deeply, relieved that he hadn't noticed the presence of the very man they where looking for. She was about to head back into the back of the story when the door opened once again, this time reveling Kimiko.

"Did that ANBU hunter come in here?" she asked, concerned.

"Yes, but I don't think he noticed him."

"Good," she sighed, relieved, as Yuri handed her the bundle containing her order. "I still can't figure out why Konoha's sending all these ANBU after Hunter-Nin."

"Well, for all the good he's done, he technically is a rouge ninja, and it's their job to hunt rouges down."

"I know that, but why so many... I never thought I'd see one ANBU in my entire life, and he makes the fourth in less then a year."

"There's no point trying to figure out why. We just have to deal with it."

"I guess you're right," she said. "Tell Hunter-Nin I said hi and welcome home."

"I will Kimiko," she said as the young lady left the store.

She turned to the door that lead into the back of the story and was surprised to see Hunter-Nin appear from behind a perfectly camouflaged cloak. "Where'd you get that one?"

"Made it myself when I realized I was being followed. Easier then using the transformation jutsu, and less chance of being discovered."

"Where you there when the ANBU was here?"

"No, but I was watching through the door. That ANBU is familiar... but I can't figure out from where..."

"Maybe you worked with him before?"

"More then likely, but its more then that. I know him, but I can't get a name..."

"Well, maybe it will come to you tonight while you sleep."

"I hope so," he said sincerely.

"Let's sit back down and you can finish telling me about your adventures."

--

The clearing was deep in the forest surrounding the village. One second, there was nothing bigger then a Goliath beetle resting on a tree trunk, the next, two ANBU stood in the dappled shade at the tree line.

"You should have made contact before gathering information, you know that."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't risk waiting. I had intel that said he would be arriving days earlier then we expected."

The ANBU in the blank mask nodded. "You have yet to report in?"

"No. I was just about to when I received your message."

"Good. We need to compare information before either of us can report in."

"Fine."

--

The next morning, Yuri awoke to the sounds of her favorite house guest snoring away in his bed. She smiled and went about her usual morning routine, knowing he wouldn't wake up until at least noon, if not later. It was normal for him, on his first day home.

She had to turn away several village children that wanted to see him, saying he hadn't gotten out of bed, and that he was allowed to sleep in because he never slept enough while he traveled. The children always pouted and tried to sneak upstairs, but she always caught them and they always left with promises of coming back just after lunch.

Yuri bustled around the house, getting everything breakable well out of arms reach of children, since the second noon rolled around she would be inundated by every child in the village coming to see their favorite ninja.

Finally, not a minute before her clock struck noon, the snoring abruptly stopped and there was a thud from upstairs signaling Hunter-Nin had woken up and fallen out of bed like he always did.

3...

2...

1...

"Grandma Yuri! Is he awake yet!" called dozens of little voices as the children gathered outside and the one unlucky older child was forced inside as the spokesman.

"Go tell the kids he'll meet them in the usual place as soon as he's changed and eaten something."

Face split into a huge grin, the child ran out and told them the news. There was a resounded roar of delight and the pounding of dozens of little feet running to the river to wait for their favorite playmate.

Said playmate wondered down the stairs, rubbing his eyes and pulling his sleeping hat off his now blonde hair. "What's goin' on?"

"Oh just the kids calling for you. Hurry up and eat something before they come back and drag you out themselves."

He grinned at the smell of the grilled kabocha stew that Yuri was famous for. "Oh how I've missed that smell," he sighed, sitting down at the table as she set a bowl down for him. She settled across the table with a bowl of her own and they ate lunch together.

"When's that ANBU hunter supposed to come by?"

"He said same time as yesterday, but that would mean he'd come when you're out playing with the kids."

"Probably for the best. It's going to be bad enough having to disappoint them all because I can't use any jutsu while the hunters are here."

"They'll get over it. And the older boys could do without that one jutsu of yours."

"What, those three still trying to learn it?"

"Yes, the idiots."

"I told them already they can't do it. They just don't have the chakra to do a jutsu like that."

"You never should have shown it to them in the first place."

"I know... but we agreed to blame it on the head injury. I can't be blamed for what I do the day after a tree falls on my head."

He finished the bowl and got up to get more. "What about the ones that I left the teaching scrolls with? Have they improved any?"

"A few have. Most are still on the first scroll. I think Aki's oldest has managed to get through the second, and Kai's middle boy is nearly there."

"That's good. I have a few new ones for them, but I might just take them aside while I'm here and give them a personal lesson or two."

"As long as you don't go and teach them fire jutsu or something insane like that..."

Hunter-Nin laughed, "Don't worry about that Grandma Yuri. They aren't anywhere near strong enough for fire jutsu."

The pounding of feet could be heard off in the distance.

"Huh-boy. They really are impatient," he sighed and gulped the last of his stew. "I'd better get changed or else they're gunna drag me across town in my pajama's again."

"Quickly now, I think they're already to Aki's fields. He dashed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Two minutes later, "Grandma Yuri! We've come to take Hunter-Nin!" The children crowded around the door, trying to get in, but only succeeding in blocking the entrance. It took nearly a full minute to ge them untangled, and by then Hunter-Nin was walking down the stairs.

"Hunter-Nin!!" they all shouted joyously.

"Hey kids!" he grinned warmly. "What's say we get outta here before something gets broken and Grandma Yuri starts yelling?"

"Yay!!" they all yelled and flooded out of the house as quick as they could.

With a wink and smile at Yuri, Hunter-Nin followed them out.

Yuri stood there, ears ringing slightly from all the noise, and smiled. Things where always more interesting with Hunter-Nin around.

--

"Show us your sword Hunter-Nin!"

"I wanna see the Rasengan again!"

"Did you bring us anything Hunter-Nin??"

"Kids, kids, please!" he begged, trying to get them to stop talking over each other. "One at a time."

"Presents!" demanded a few, and the rest nodded.

He set the large bag he'd been carrying down and said, "Alright then, you know the rules. Line up and wait your turn. And no pushing. Last thing I want is your parents yelling at me because I started another fight by bringing you guys stuff."

The kids did what he said, and lined up, more or less patiently. Most were fidgeting and discussing what kind of stuff he'd brought them this time.

Twenty minutes later saw the kids showing off their presents to each other. Some had well made wooden swords and shields, others had little wooden carvings of animals and mythical beasts. The girls were given costume jewelry and dolls mostly, but he knew them all well enough to know which girls wanted swords and the like as much as the boys did. The oldest children where given new tools and clothing along with the little toy animals they all loved.

"Alrighty then, everyone happy?"

There were a few kids that wanted to trade for something else, and they where accommodated accordingly.

Finally, everyone was happy. "Okay kids, have fun with your new toys and stuff for a few minutes. I need to talk to a couple of you privately."

They all nodded and waited to see who he was going to pull aside. He call for four boys and one of the girls, all from the older crowd, and all ones that he'd been teaching simple jutsu's too over the years. He led them a ways away from the group, so they wouldn't be overheard. "I hear from Grandma Yuri that you've all been practicing hard."

"Yes Hunter-Nin," they said.

"She also said that you two had nearly finished the scrolls I'd left here last year."

The boys nodded.

"Well then, I'm just going to have to give you a little test before I leave. I've brought some more advanced scrolls, but I want to make sure you're ready before I give them to you."

"What about us?" asked the girl, who'd only just recently started learning jutsu, but was progressing far more rapidly then the others.

"Well, I want to see what you can do first, but if I'm satisfied, then I'll leave copies with you too."

They all grinned, "We'll do our best!"

"Course you will. You've had the best Sensei around, so you can only expect to be the best."

"You're the only Sensei around Hunter-Nin," the reminded him.

"So? Just means I'm defiantly the best."

The all laughed and he let them get back to playing with the others. He assumed his usual role at this yearly event, getting dragged between knots of kids every time one of them felt he hadn't been paying them enough attention, all begging for him to show them something different.

"Please Hunter-Nin..." one group begged. "Show us the Rasengan!"

"I can't," he stated firmly.

"But why not??" they demanded.

"I can't tell you right now. But just believe me when I say that I can't."

The pouted and begged and pleaded, but his determination never wavered. They switched tactics, trying to lead him into doing it, but that didn't work. Finally, they resorted to their old stand-by, a dog pile on Hunter-Nin. Which, even though it was great fun for kids and him alike, failed to work. Finally, with a promise of giving everyone piggy-back rides through the trees if they'd stop asking him, he succeeded in getting them to stop.

So, three hours and an aching set of shoulders, arms, and back later, the kids where happy. It was getting to be time for the younger kids to be getting home, so there was a general outcry of "Can't we please stay later?" and pouted "It's not fair!"'s. This went on until some of the parents came to collect their kids, and the older kids with younger siblings realized that if they didn't get them home soon they where going to end up grounded and that's the last thing you want to have happen with Hunter-Nin in town.

He leaned against a tree and waved as a large chunk of the kids left homeward. Those left where of the older and thankfully quieter variety. Of course, that didn't stop them from finally having their turn at trying to get him to do all of his cool little tricks. Which was a waste of time, but you can't blame a kid for trying, right?

"Too bad it's so cool," he said, after they finally calmed down and stopped begging. "It's would be a perfect day to go swimming."

"The water's too cold," said one. "The snows still melting up in the mountains."

"I know," he nodded. "I nearly fell off the side of a glacier a few months ago up in the Snow Country."

"Whoa! How'd you pull that off?"

"Eh...I was trying to climb down the face, and my axe came loose. The other one barely held long enough for me to plant my feet and start digging a new footing."

"Were you scared?"

"Feh, it was only a three hundred foot drop into freezing cold water. I've been though worse."

"Man Hunter-Nin... you do the coolest stuff," said one, in awe of his hero.

"I guess," he shrugged humbly.

"Hey Hunter-Nin, do you really have to leave again?" asked one of the girls.

"Come on guys, you know I can't stay more then a couple of days. There's too much stuff I gotta get done."

"Awwwwwwwww," they all groaned, disappointed that he still wouldn't stay more then a week.

He was about to say something, but froze, listening. He'd gone from grinning to stone faced and serious-eyed in the blink of an eye. "Everyone down!" he yelled and shoved one of the boys away from the tree he'd been leaning against. Split second later, a kunai was buried tip-first, still quivering from the impact, at the exact point where the boy's nose had been a second before. Hunter-Nin was already on his feet, hands flying and forming the chakra sign for his favorite jutsu. Five clones appeared next to him and four fanned out into the forest. "All of you, stay low to the ground and don't move. I'll be right back." He dissapeared, leaving his final clone to watch them.

The kids stayed there, not moving, not speaking, for over a minute before he reappeared. All but one clone vanished and he said, "Lost him, whoever he was." The kids stood up and before they could say anything he threw in, "That's why I can't stay any longer then I normally do. Stuff like that always happens where I am. You kids get home. Now. And I don't want to hear any arguments. I'll send my clone with you as protection." They protested, but he just glared at them until the gave up and headed back to the village. He watched them leave for a minute, then turned to examine the kunai. There was a message attached to the hilt:

_We know you're here. Meet us at the top of the tallest hill, midnight tonight, or else we will come after you._

He sighed and pulled a pen from his pocket. Turning the note over he wrote:

_Fine. Just please, don't hurt the villagers. They shouldn't have to pay for what I've done._

He reattached the note to the hilt and left quickly, not wanting to risk another attack.

--

"Hunter-Nin! You're home early. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, one of those ANBU after me nearly split Shikoku's head open with a kunai," he said, still bristling. "Bastard had the gall to use a kid to get my attention."

"But that can't be right. Both the ANBU where here all day. They just left, not five minutes ago."

"Then there's a third out there somewhere, and he's a royal pain in the ass."

"Did you see him?"

"Not his mask, but I got a good look at the back of him before I lost him about a mile outside of the village. Used a smoke bomb to get away." He cursed the ANBU to the depths of hell before continuing, "He left a note with that kunai. Wants to meet with me at midnight. Basically threatened to tear the village apart looking for me if I didn't show."

"Oh my..." she said. "That's not good."

"No, no it isn't. I can't run, because then they definatly will tear apart the village to make sure I'm not just hiding out somewhere. And if I go, I'm going to have to fight off three freaking ANBU hunters, which I really don't want to do, because then they'll really send the big guns out after me." He sighed and slumped into a chair, "I hate my life..."

"Don't talk like that," she said. "Sure, things may seem gloomy right now, but they'll get better."

"Yeah, after I manage to kill some of the best trained ninja on the planet. Of course, I'll end up on the watch list in every country if I do and then I'm really gunna be screwed."

"Maybe it won't be that bad..."

"I really wish I had that kind of optimism Grandma. I really do." He stood up, "I'm going to take a bath." He left without another word.

"Poor thing..." she sighed as he retreated upstairs.

--

"Yes I know, he told me when he came home."

"Well, I don't want my son around him if there are ninja after him," Shikoku's mother stated firmly.

"I still think he's just as safe around Hunter-Nin as he is when your husband takes him out hunting, but if you want to keep him away, then I won't stop you."

"What's going on?" said Hunter-Nin as he reached the bottom of the stairs, dressed but still drying his hair.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you where being hunted by ANBU?"

He blinked, "I did?"

"I hadn't heard anything about it. If I had, I would never have let my son near you!"

"Please, listen to me. The ANBU would never hurt an innocent child. He knew there was no way I'd let the kunai hit, and was probably hoping I would've gotten hit while trying to get your son to safety. I understand you're worried, but I agree with Grandma Yuri. Shikoku is just as safe with me as he is on any hunting trip with your husband."

"I don't care Hunter-Nin. I don't want you around my son anymore."

He sighed, "If that's really what you want, then I shall do as you say. But I can't stop the boy from seeking me out if he wants to, nor would I ever try and stop him unless I seriously believed that his life would be in danger." He turned and retreated back upstairs.

"Oh dear, now he's going to be sulking all night."

"Serves him right, lying to us like that."

"Oh stop it. He's never done anything to any of us and here you are acting like he's some monster that destroyed your home."

"Well, we all know he was part of the battle that destroyed the village. How do we know he really wasn't on the enemy's side. So what if he looks like a ninja from Konoha? He could have been rouge before the battle and fighting for the wrong side."

"We don't," came her simple reply. "But I'd like to think his behavior over the last five years would be a good indication of which side he was on."

Shikoku's mother shook her head, "Mark my words Yuri, Hunter-Nin is trouble, and you'd be wise to turn him out." She turned and left before Yuri could say anything.

"That's where you're wrong," she sighed to the silent house.

--

Three forms appeared from the shadows of the clearing.

"You idiot! What where you thinking, throwing a kunai at that poor kid!?"

"Oh please, if he's really the one we want then the kid was in no danger."

"And if he hadn't been!? You where willing to risk a kids life over it!?"

"You said it yourself, ANBU-san. This is the guy we want, and I just proved you right!"

"This isn't how we do things," said the ANBU in the blank mask. "Remember, you aren't out of the probationary period yet. If you don't do as we say, we can still have you washed out of the program. One more mistake like that and you will be gone."

"Yes ANBU-san," he huffed. "May I leave now, I have more information to collect."

Blank Mask nodded and the probationary ANBU in the cat mask dissapeared.

"Stupid kid..." grumbled Dog Mask. "I can't believe he did that!"

"Yes, well, this year's applicants weren't really up to standard. There are far too many young hot-heads in the pool, and not enough suitable missions. We really should have been given someone older and more experienced."

"Got that right..."

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Yeah," he said. "The scars make it diffictult to tell at first, but there's no doubt it's him."

Blank Mask sighed, "Then this mission just got quite a bit more difficult."

"Tell me about it... Do you want me to report in?"

"Yes. I'll need to finish setting up for tonight."

"Is this really a good idea, confronting him like this?"

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"Right..." he pulled a scroll from a pouch at his belt and opened it. He bit his thumb and wiped it across the surface, "Summoning Jutsu!" A single large falcon appeared. He grabbed another scroll, opened it, scribbled an addition to the report already on it, re-sealed it, tied it to the falcon's leg, and set the bird on it's way. "See you at midnight," he said as he dissapeared back into the shadows, leaving the remaining ANBU alone.

Blank Mask sighed and glanced up at the sun. 8 Hours until midnight.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you sure you want to do this," said Grandma Yuri as she tried to talk Hunter-Nin out of what was obviously a suicide run.

"I have to," he said flatly. "There's no other way for me to protect the village without causing more suffering." He finished organizing he various pouches and stood up. "I'm sorry all this had to happen to you. Especially since you've been nothing but kind to me since the moment you found me." He slipped the belt for his sword over his shoulder and adjusted it until it settled into it's usual position on his back. He left his cloak hanging from it's peg on the wall. He probably wouldn't be needing it again.

"Please Hunter-Nin. Stay."

"I'm sorry Grandma Yuri." He walked to the door before thinking better and hugging her tightly. "Thank you for everything."

"You had better come back," she said firmly, knowing it was all she could say without crying.

"You know me, I always come back," he said, with no real conviction in his voice. He finally let go and walked back to the door, hesitating for a moment before opening it and stepping out into the cool night.

--

"I know you're there. Come out."

"You actually came," said Blank Mask, appearing silently in front of Hunter-Nin. "I am impressed."

"Threatening the villagers is pretty much all it takes to get me to show myself."

"Sorry," said Dog Mask, from a few feet to the left. "That wasn't our idea. We're stuck with a newbie and he's not the brightest monkey in the barrel, if you know what I mean."

"I resent that," said Cat Mask as he oh so noisily (at least compared to the others) appeared behind Hunter-Nin.

"So... before we start this dance I was so very harshly forced to participate in, how about you tell me exactly why the hell there are ANBU from Konoha hunting me? Other then the whole thing about me technically being a rouge ninja."

"You mean you don't know?" snorted Cat Mask.

"Okay, you don't talk," commanded Dog Mask.

Blank mask, shaking his head in exasperation, "We had been tasked with simply following you. It was our mission to gather intel, nothing more. Then there was the incident in Kusa."

"Right... You saw me take out those Chuunin rouges and the Hokage decided I was too dangerous to leave alone."

"Essentially."

"So then that must mean I really am from Konoha," he muttered. "Now, for the other half of the question, what did I do that warranted an ANBU tail in the first place."

"Ahh, well, that was a bit of a mistake actually."

"Yes. It seems that there was a bit of a problem with he information we where originally given on you."

"Problem?"

"Yeah... The authorities out in the Fang Country put a bounty on your head for a crime committed by, funnily enough, one of the Ninjas you killed in Kusa."

"Oh that's nice. I didn't even know there was a bounty on my head. How long had that been there?"

Oh, around a year," answered Dog Mask. "And we would have been dispatched to apprehend you after the incident in Kusa, except that it was sanctioned by the local Lord and made it legal."

"Oh yeah, I made sure he sanctioned it. I wasn't about to risk anything on a mission that big," he nodded. "Well, since it was a legal mission, and you've already cleared my name, is there any real reason that there's still a tail on me?"

The ANBU glanced at each other.

Blank mask spoke first. "Well, you are supposed to be dead."

That earned a blank stare from Hunter-Nin. "Yeah, Grandma Yuri told me about how she found be floating in the river after that battle."

"There's more to it then that," said Dog Mask. "You were supposed to be dead before that battle even started. In fact, you're kinda the reason it did."

Hunter-Nin's eyebrows shot up, "Me?! What the hell did I do to cause a battle that nearly destroyed everything for nearly twenty miles!?"

"You didn't do anything," said Blank Mask. "It was what they did to you that started it."

"The hell? What's so important about me that you'd go to war??"

"You're one of ours, and we don't take the unprovoked attack of a comrade lightly. Granted, we didn't think the battle would escalate as far as it did, but we still would have gone after those responsible."

"One of yours eh? How can I be one of yours when I don't even know who the hell I am??"

"You might not know who you are, but we do," stated Dog Mask.

That hit a nerve, "You know who the hell I really am and you haven't said anything!!"

"Well, we weren't sure until yesterday. The old lady gave me the hint I needed to connect the dots."

"And what hint was that?" he ground out through clinched teeth.

"You are the only person alive that can use the Rasengan," replied Blank Mask.

"If it wasn't part of the job description for ANBU to know all about their targets jutsu, I'd ask you how you knew about the Rasengan."

"Well, there's that," conceded Dog Mask. "But I've see you use the Rasengan on more then one occasion."

"As have I," added Blank Mask in his calm voice. "It's a jutsu of legend in Konoha, as are you."

Hunter-Nin laughed, "Doubt that. If I was a legend I would have been able to figure out who the hell I am before now."

"Tell me, does the name Naruto Uzumaki mean anything to you?"

The blank stare was enough of an answer, "Other then he's supposed to be the Kyuubi container, not really."

"Well, that's a change. I was half expecting him to shout 'I'm gunna be the next Hokage' or something."

"Ah, well, maybe getting him back to the village will help. Shizune said that the best way to treat amnesia is to bring in familiar people and objects in hope of jarring a memory."

"Yeah, but I doubt he'd willingly go back, not after dumb ass over there nearly killed that kid."

"Oi! Standing right here."

They ignored him. "So, what now," said Dog Mask. "I mean, you're the one in charge here, so make a decision."

Blank Mask was silent for a few moments, "We could force him back... maybe... but that would probably cause serious damage to everything for a few miles around... so... I guess we could ask nicely."

"Yeah, but you know him. He won't go back without a really good reason."

"The fact that we can give him back his life should be a pretty good reason."

"Geeze, for two ANBU Hunters you sure don't pay a lot of attention to your quarry."

"I swear, I'm nothing but chopped liver to you people," grumbled the Cat Masked ANBU.

"Oh shut up," they all said.

"So anyway, if you guys don't have anything else to say, I'm gunna just go ahead and take off. See ya." He waved and turned to leave.

"Naruto, stop!"

He didn't stop.

"Crap, what does the old lady call him... Hunter-Nin!"

He finally stopped, "What?"

"Please don't go. We're only here to help you now. Come home with us Naruto. We can help you get your life back."

"So I'm Naruto, eh? Well at least my parents had a good taste in names." He resumed walking away.

Dog Mask dissapeared and reappeared in front of Naruto. He tore his mask off and screamed, "Come on Naruto! Don't you recognize me!?"

He stared at the ANBU, "No. Should I?"

"Hell yeah you should! We're only best friends!"

Eyebrow raised, "Really? Huh, well sorry, but you aren't ringing any bells."

The ANBU turned to his team-mate, "Neji, help me out here!"

Neji sighed and took his own mask off, "Naruto, I know you don't remember us, but we were friends, as well as team-mates. It's hard to believe, since we have no proof other than our word, but I swear on my father's grave that it is the truth."

Naruto stared at Neji, "Huh, nice eyes. You're a Hyuuga, right?"

"Yes I am."

"Huh, I heard about you guys from a guy out in the Waterfall village. Interesting Kekke Genkai."

"Oh fer the love a..."

"Kiba..." warned Neji. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I'll do whatever it takes to get the blonde knucklehead to go home with us."

Naruto turned back to Kiba, "Inuzuka, right?"

Kiba blinked, "You remember me now?"

"Nope. Ran into an Inuzuka out in the Tea Country a few years ago. I recognize the red marks on your face. If you're an Inuzuka, then where's your dog?"

"Akamaru's right behind you," he said.

Naruto turned around and came face to face with the biggest damn dog he'd ever seen.

Akamaru bared his fangs, sniffed Naruto, and then relaxed, barking happily. He tried to lick at the confused man's face, but Naruto backed away saying, "Whoa there big fella. I just took a bath a few hours ago, and I'm not looking for another one."

"See! Akamaru recognizes you! He still be growling at you if he didn't."

"And...?"

"Kiba, calm down. Didn't I just say not to get carried away?"

"Sorry Neji, but this is really starting to piss me off."

"Not alone there," said Naruto. "Now, can I go home and go to bed? It's getting kinda late and I've got lots to do in the morning."

"It is probably for the best if you do. Think over what we've said."

"Eh, you gave me back my name, so why not?" He stepped around Akamaru and waved at the ANBU. "Oh," he added quickly, "Do me a favor and apologize to the poor kid's mother before she gets the bright idea to have me arrested for child endangerment."

"Yeah, we'll talk to her," grumbled Kiba, annoyed at how the meeting had turned out.

Naruto vanished into the night, leaving the three ANBU alone.

"I'll talk to the woman tomorrow," said Neji. "You can try and talk with Naruto," he said to Kiba. "And you," he said to the probie ANBU, "Are going to report this to the higher-ups back home." He'd already pulled out a scroll and was witting the report.

"But...!" protested Cat Mask Probie.

"No buts," said Neji firmly. "You will go back, or else Akamaru will have to carry you back, unconscious. And I know for a fact that Akamaru would hate to have to do that."

Akamaru barked, tone showing clear agreement with Neji's statement.

"Fine..." relented Cat Mask and took the scroll. He vanished into the night, leaving only Neji and Kiba.

"Well, this sure didn't turn out like anyone thought it would."

Neji nodded and they both vanished.

--

Naruto opened the door slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Thank Kami!" came the voice of Grandma Yuri as Naruto opened the door the rest of the way and went inside. "I was worried that the ANBU would cause more trouble then either of us thought. What happened?"

Naruto slumped into his favorite chair and sighed, "Well, they want me to go back with them."

"To Konoha?"

"Yeah. Back home, they said."

"I knew it. That'll shut up those idiots that still doubted you!"

"There's more too it then that. They told me about the battle..."

"You mean about how you ended up in the river?"

He shook his head.

"Then what?"

He sighed deeply and said in a quiet bitter voice, "It was my fault."

Grandma Yuri didn't say anything for several long moments. "But... that can't be right. How could you have started it?"

"I didn't start it," he amended. "But I was the reason the whole thing was started." He paused for a second, to gather his courage. "I was already supposed to be dead before the battle even started. It was supposed to be a standard mission, take out the idiots that killed one of our ANBU. They said they had no idea that so many ninja where waiting, and by the time it was over everything was destroyed. It was never supposed to happen like that... but it was still all my fault."

"Hunter-Nin, if they thought you dead, then you can be blamed for the fighting."

He didn't protest, even though he wanted to.

"What else did they tell you?"

He smiled, a hallow empty smile, "My name..."

Grandma Yuri squealed, "That's fantastic! After all these years you finally know your own name again! What is it?"

He sighed and mumbled so quietly that she couldn't hear him.

"Child, you know my old ears are going bad. You'll have to speak up if you want me to hear you."

He buried his head in his hands and repeated, "Naruto Uzumaki..."

The silence was deafening. This was what he was afraid of.

"Naruto... Uzumaki..."

He nodded, head still buried in his hands.

The feeling of strong arms around his shoulders was completely unexpected. "It's a beautiful name child. So much better then plain old Hunter-Nin."

His head perked up and he stared at the woman hugging him, "But... you know what this means. I... I'm the Kyuubi container... How can you still want me around?"

"So what if you're the Kyuubi container? You've been the Kyuubi's container the entire time I've known you, and there's never been a problem before. Why should there be now?"

Naruto blinked, tears forming in his eyes, "Thank you Grandma. I really needed to hear that."

She grinned at him, "Come on child, get those weapons off and I'll make us a cup of tea."

"I'd like that. I'd really like that," he sighed happily.

--

The next morning found Naruto curled up on the couch, after having finally fallen asleep sometime during the early early hours of the morning. Yuri had woken up nearly an hour before, and was glad that the morning had dawned quietly so Naruto could sleep. The events of the previous night would be hard for anyone to deal with, and must be especially so for the poor boy.

She'd planned on letting him sleep all day, but the knock at the door was all it took to wake him from his peaceful slumber. He shot up, hand already on the hilt of his sword, half awake and ready enough to stop just about any attack. "Calm down child, it's just the door." The man blinked sleepily and dropped his sword, and slumped back onto the comfortable couch, already snoring before his head hit the pillow. Yuri answered the door, "Hello?"

"Sorry to come so early, but I need to speak to Naruto. Is he awake?"

Yuri's eye's narrowed, "I don't know who you're looking for, but there is no one named Naruto here." She made to close the door, but was stopped by the sheathed sword jammed through the opening.

"Wait, please! I know you don't recognize me, but I'm the ANBU hunter you spoke to yesterday."

"Oh? Where's your mask?"

Kiba pulled his mask out of an inner pocket of his cloak and handed it to Yuri. She held it up, covering his face from view. "Ahhh yes. I recognize you now. I'm sorry, but he's still asleep, and I prefer not to wake him."

"I'd rather not as well, but this is important. There's more going on here then he or my team-mates know."

She stared at him, searching for any hint of deception. Finally, satisfied, "Alright. If it's so important that you'd risk getting your head chopped of by waking him up, then you can come in." She opened the door enough for him to enter, and bolted it tight behind him.

"Listen, about the thing with that kid, it really wasn't our idea. The stupid probie they made me bring along acted on his own and we've sent him back to be disciplined. He's definitely not going to still be ANBU when this is all over."

Yuri nodded and said, "Well, I agree that it was stupid to try and get his attention like that, and you should have kept a tighter leash on your subordinate." She had chosen her words correctly, and the dog-nin flinched.

"Believe me, I'm going to get a chewing out of my own when we get back, so I agree with that sentiment." He turned to Naruto, "Huh boy... He sleep's with his hand on his sword... ANBU to the end..." He looked down at the sword he still gripped in his hand, "Well, I guess I can afford to lose it. I still have my good one back home." He used the sword to poke Naruto in the shoulder, earning a startled cry and a near gash to the face as Naruto's sword swung out to fend off whoever he thought was attacking him. Kiba's sword was split in half, and he dropped the useless remains.

Naruto sat up and stared at Kiba. "Wha's he doin' here?" he mumbled, still mostly asleep.

"I need to talk to you Naruto."

"Yeah, and I need some damn sleep," he grunted. "But it looks like neither of us is going to get what we want."

"I'm serious Naruto. There's something I have to tell you before it's too late."

"Fine..." yawned the annoyed blonde. "Tell me what it is so I can go back to sleep."

"Naruto, now that they know you're alive, they'll stop at nothing to get you back to the village. I'm talking full on start a war kinda shit here. There's gunna be way more then just a few ANBU out looking for you. They'll send out as many Jounin out as they can possible spare."

"Why the hell do they want me back so bad? It can't just be because of Kyuubi."

"There's more then that, but it's a big factor. Naruto, you're the strongest Konoha ninja alive right now, stronger then any of the Sannin. You were next in line to be Hokage after Tsunade-sama steps down. The Elders Council won't let you just walk around out here as long as you're not under their control. The old bastards are too power hungry and stuck in the past to allow that."

"Oh fer Kami's sake... You really expect me to believe that? Well, I believe the power hungry bastard part, but the rest is a bit much."

"Come on Naruto. You spent the first sixteen years of your life screaming, 'I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm gunna be the Next Hokage! Believe it!' every five minutes of the day."

"I did?"

"Kami yes," he groaned. "It got old after the first day, but it was something so uniquely you that we all ended up loving it. I swear, they were about to take me off active duty because I kept hearing you say that all day after the battle and they thought I'd finally broken."

"Really now?" He rubbed the back of his neck, "That's a bit weird, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but that's the kind of affect you have on people."

"I guess... but anyway, even if I was to go back, it doesn't sound like I'd like it any better then running. If those old bastards only want my power, what's gunna stop them from ordering me put in a cage until they need me to do something?"

"Well... mostly the fact that if they ever order us to do something like that without a good reason they'd be found murdered in their beds the next morning and there wouldn't be a trace of whoever did it. But I can tell you this, I'd be at the top of the list of people they'd suspect."

"That's nice to know." He yawned and stretched a bit. "I dunno, I really don't see what the appeal of being the plaything of a bunch of crazy old coots is."

"Oh trust me, they only think they control you. It's more a deal of the current Hokage lets you do whatever you want as long as you do go psycho rouge nin on us."

"Well, I'm already a rouge nin, so what's to stop someone labeling my as a psycho and them throwing me in said cage?"

"You aren't crazy."

"I know that. Grandma Yuri knows that. Hell, this entire village knows that. But I doubt it's going to matter to the people that would decide my fate."

Kiba sighed, "What's it going to take for me to convince you to at least come back for a few days? At least a visit to, yanno, maybe jog your memory?"

Naruto shrugged, "There's nothing you can offer me that worth risking my freedom over."

"You'd give up everything you had, just for your freedom?"

"I don't know. I have no fucking clue what I had back there, so how is that a fair fucking question!?"

Yuri, sensing that all hell was about to break loose, made a hasty retreat up the stairs and to safety.

"Ughhhh! I don't know how I can explain this to you! The only way is to show you!!"

"Oh right, and the only way to do that, conveniently enough, is for me to go back to Konoha where there are enough fucking ninja to keep me there! Do you really think I'm that fucking stupid!?"

"NO!! Kami no! You're not stupid, not by a long shot! It's me that's the fucking idiot!! It's my fucking fault that this happened!!"

"So now this is all your fault!? What the hell is it with you people and passing the buck to yourselves!? Just tell me what the fuck happened already!!"

There was a full minute of complete silence before Kiba finally choked out, "I...I ah..."

Naruto sighed, "Can I get an answer out of someone? Just once, can you give me a real answer?"

Kiba, face the picture of sorrow and anger, "I just... it's hard... thinking about it..." He swallowed heavily and continued in a stronger voice, "So much happened, it's hard to know where to begin."

"Just, pick a place and start. I really don't care where."

"It was... it was supposed to be a vacation. Well, the ninja equivalent of one anyway. It was actually a diplomatic mission. You and I had been assigned to negotiate some new terms in the treaty between Suna and Konoha. Course, since you're such good friends with Gaara, and Kankuro and I are practically poker buddies, it was gunna be one really nice paid vacation. We were a day out of Konoha, just outside the Fire Country, when we were ambushed by a bunch of rouges from several of the villages. Should have been an easy enough battle. It was three on fifteen, so the odds were well in our favor. Half way through, thirty more, mostly mercenaries by the look of them, appeared outta nowhere and overwhelmed us. Last I saw was you taking a lightning jutsu to the chest and falling off the side of the cliff into the river. Next thing I know, Sakura's standing over me saying something about 'don't move' and 'nasty head wound.' I blacked out again and next time I woke up I was in the hospital, wrapped up like a damn mummy and being stared down by Shino." He paused, gathering his thoughts, "They wouldn't tell me what happened to you at first. I know that was a bad sign. When I finally managed to get Shizune to talk..." He trailed off, unable to go on.

"So what, they never even looked for me?" he asked, voice quiet.

"Course they did. My mother took an entire pack of the dogs out, Akamaru included, to search for you. Shino and his father used their bugs to help look, and half the Hyuuga family volunteered to help with their Byakugan."

Naruto nodded. "So that's why Neji looked so amazed when he took his mask off. He was one of the ones that was out looking for me."

"Of course he was. Neji's one of your closest friends. Has been ever since the first time we took the Chuunin exams together. You changed his life back then, and he's felt like he owes you a debt of gratitude since then."

"Really now... I should get him to tell me about this before you guys leave..."

"There's another reason why I want you to come home so bad..."

"Is there?"

Kiba nodded.

"What is it?"

"I... I can't tell you..."

"Of come on," he sighed. "First you tell me there a reason then you refuse to tell me what it is. Make up your mind already!"

"It's... complicated..."

"Well, make it uncomplicated and tell me."

"Trust me, if I could, I would. But there's no way to make this uncomplicated." He fished around in a pocket of the cloak for a moment. "This is the best I can do... without getting sliced in half by your sword..." He handed Naruto a small square of paper.

"What's this...?" he realized that it was a picture when he felt the smoothness of the finish.

It was a picture of him and Kiba, standing in front of a river wearing nothing but trunks, arm around each other's waist. They were smiling brightly, and it looked like they'd been laughing and having a really good time.

Naruto stared at it for a long time before even moving. The hand holding the picture fell and he looked up at Kiba. His eye's said it all, "You and I...?"

Kiba couldn't speak, the lump in his throat was so large it was hard to breathe.

"And I thought the other stuff was big..."

Oddly enough, the silence that followed wasn't really all the awkward.

"So then..."

Nod.

"And we..."

Another nod.

"Right then..." Naruto set the picture down on the table and stood up. "Well, I think my brains been reduced to an appropriate amount of jelly for one day... How about we continue this tomorrow?"

"We really don't have until tomorrow," said Kiba, seriously. "If we were farther out, maybe, but chances are very high that they'll send Lee's team as back-up and they're the fastest ninja we've got. Not to mention some of the strongest. They can make the trip from Konoha to Suna in a day, so making it here in a few hours is nothing to them."

"Why do I suddenly feel like I never even had a choice of whether or not I would go back to Konoha?"

"I guess because in a way, you didn't," sighed Kiba apologetically.

"Well then, give me an hour to get my stuff together and say goodbye."

"We can't leave until noon, so don't worry. If I send a messenger bird back saying that I've convinced you to return, I can buy you until the morning."

"No, it's better if I leave sooner. Less chance to change my mind."

"Okay, meet us at the edge of town at noon then." He turned to leave, "Keep the picture for now. It might help you remember some things."

He nodded and went to unlock the door. "I just... this is... damn it!"

"Don't worry about it," said Kiba. "You don't have to say anything right now. Just, please, try and remember. I want you to get better Naruto, but I know better then to try and force it."

Naruto nodded, and closed the door behind Kiba.

--

"You're going with them..."

"I have too..."

"Doesn't make it any easier. I can't bare to think of what it would be like if I never got to see you again. You've brought me so much happiness over the years."

"I know Grandma Yuri. I'm sorry it had to turn out like this, but it's best for everyone if I just go now. It's the only way to avoid more pain and suffering for the village."

"For the village, yes. But it's only causing you more pain. It's not fair, forcing you to go like this."

"Fair or not, it's what I have to do."

"I understand. If I wasn't so old I'd offer to go with you, but there's no way these bones could keep up with a spry young ninja like you."

"Oh please, I've seen the way you move when you want to. I bet you could out pace us the entire way there."

"Maybe, but I'd spend the rest of the trip in the hospital and would have to ride the rest of the way back in a wagon," she laughed.

"I could always summon a frog to carry you back home," he added helpfully, a grin on his face.

"True, but I don't think they'd appreciate being summoned just to take an old lady home."

"You're more then just an old lady to me. You're family, and they only real family I've ever had. That much I know for sure."

"What about that Kiba fellow?"

He blinked, "What do you mean?"

"I saw the way he was looking at you earlier." She grinned slyly, "And he looked an awful lot like he wanted to do something to you just before he left."

"Grandma! You were spying!" he fake gasped, having known full well she was there at the top of the stair listening in the entire time.

"The picture he gave you, what was it?"

He blushed, "It was nothing really. Just me and some of the other ninja in front of some building... the ninja academy I think."

"Uh-huh," she nodded with a knowing look in her eyes. "Then let me see it."

Busted. He blushed even harder.

"I knew it! Come on Naruto, let your old grandmother see the picture."

"This is such a bad idea..." he mumbled as he handed the picture to her.

"Now see, I told you before that you must have been a teenage heartthrob and I was right!"

"Okay then... I guess you where right Grandma," he said, relieved she hadn't made the connection.

"Oh, don't think I didn't connect the dots there child. I've been around long enough to spot love when I see it. That Kiba fellow has the hots for you, and from the look of this picture, you did too at one point."

"Wasn't me..." he mumbled very quietly.

"How do you figure that?"

"Because, I'm not the same person that's in the picture. Sure, I look like him, but I'm not."

"Oh, I think you are. Just because you've lost some memories doesn't mean you're not the same person you where before."

Naruto sighed, "I don't know about that...I mean, sure, Kiba's nice looking and all... but I just don't know anything about him."

"That's the thing about your heart child, it never truly forgets. You'll know if he's telling the truth soon enough. Just, give him a chance. Right now he's the best shot you have at getting your memories back. And a lot more then that apparently."

Naruto sighed and changed the subject, "I have to pack. I've got to be out there by noon, and I want to be able to say goodbye to everyone before then."

She nodded and left him alone to his thoughts.

--

"You're early," said Neji as Naruto approached a full five minute before noon. "Why is she with you?"

"I wanted to walk with him," she said defiantly. "He's my family, and I wanted to make sure he'd be safe."

Neji nodded, not disputing the fact that she was family to Naruto. "We have a fair bit of ground to cover before nightfall. I suggest we leave now."

Naruto hugged Yuri tightly, "See you Grandma."

"Bye Naruto. You'd better come and visit me soon."

"Course I will. Take care of yourself while I'm gone, okay?"

"I always do," she said, patting him on the head.

"Hunter-Nin! Wait a second!" called a gaggle of children that appeared from nowhere.

"Hi guys!" he called grinning.

"We came to say goodbye," they all said. "We don't want you to have to leave again so soon."

"I know, but sometime you have to do things you really don't want to do. Just promise me you'll behave until I get back, alright?"

"Sure thing Hunter-Nin!" they all agreed, smiling brightly.

"They're still calling you Hunter-Nin?" asked Kiba, curious.

"It's made the transition from my name to my nickname in less then three hours," he said. "I've been Hunter-Nin to them their entire lives, so they prefer it to Naruto."

"Ahhh," he said.

"I'm sorry to have to cut this goodbye short, but we really must be going."

Naruto nodded and waved goodbye to the kids, "Bye everyone. Make sure you don't drive your parents insane. And no more imitating me and painting stuff on the street signs again!"

"He loses his memories yet he remembers the best ways to mess with stuff without ruining it..." sighed Kiba, rubbing his temples.

"He defiantly would not be Naruto if he didn't," said Neji. He started walking down the road, Kiba following a few second later.

Naruto smiled at them all one last time and followed just behind Kiba.

--

They made camp just as the sun set below the tree line. It had been a very quiet journey up to that point, and even then, the only time any of them spoke was directions for setting up the tent. There was a small stream nearby, so they had plenty of water, and Naruto's pack was full of food that several of the villagers had given him for the trip. Of course, for a normal civilian the trip from the village to Konoha took three or four days, but a ninja moving normally could make it in less then thirty-six hours. They ate a cheerless dinner, although Kiba did attempt to start a conversation at one point. They fell back into silence quickly enough, none really feeling like talking.

It was midnight when Kiba woke up. He looked around, confused at why his built in danger sense was going off. Then he saw the empty bed roll on the other side of Neji. "Crap," he hissed and jumped out of his own bed roll. He grabbed for his sword and ran outside.

"Looking for me?"

Kiba looked up and saw a large shadowy figure sitting on a branch above the tent. "The hell Naruto!?"

"Sorry, couldn't sleep. I thought some fresh air might help."

Kiba sighed, "Well, now I'm wide awake too..." Looking up at the moon, "How long have you been out here?"

Naruto shrugged, "'Bout an hour or so."

"That long? I must be getting rusty if I didn't notice before..."

"You didn't notice until now because I used a sleep genjutsu on you to keep you down. I didn't feel like being watched while I tried to think."

"Well, that explains the fuzzy feeling, and why my mental alarm went off."

"I'm surprised it lasted so long. I was expecting you guys to wake up half an hour ago."

"If you actually were a prisoner and not an old friend, we would have. But it's hard to see you as anything but an ally so we kinda end up dropping our guard a little."

"Is that why neither of you set a watch tonight?"

Kiba blinked and face palmed, "Right! That's what I was forgetting. It was my turn to take first watch."

"Bit forgetful to be ANBU there, aren't ya Kiba?"

"Well, you normally take first watch," he said. "You like sleeping through dawn."

"Won't debate that fact," he said. "But I've found that watching the moon and stars is very relaxing and a better way to end the day then staring at the inside of a tent while trying to fall asleep at night."

"Yeah," he agreed. He sat down at the base of the tree that Naruto was sitting in. Akamaru, having woken up at the sound of the two ninja talking, walked over to Kiba and settled back down next to him. Kiba scratched his ears and the large dog sighed happily.

"Have we ever done this before?"

"Done what?"

"Sit around at night and watched the stars. For a second there it felt familiar."

Kiba smiled, "All the time."

"Ahh." He was silent for a minute. "It's nice."

"Yep," came Kiba's drowsy reply. He yawned sleepily.

"Kiba?"

"Hmmm?"

"Never mind..."

Kiba's eyes finally slid closed and his breathing evened out again.

Naruto, looking down at him, sighed heavily. Part of him wanted to jump down and settle down next to him, but the rational part of his mind was forcing him to remain in the tree. _"Damn it... the one time I wish Grandma Yuri was wrong...What's it going to be Hunter-Nin..."_ He smiled, he even called himself Hunter-Nin in his head. "_Your heart, or your head."_

Finally, a decision. Slowly, ever so slowly, he slid the six feet to the ground. Padding along lightly on bare feet, he moved around the giant dog and sat down facing Kiba. _"Last chance to chicken out..."_

He sat there, tearing himself in half, for the better part of a minute before Kiba opened a glazed eye and said, "Get over here if you're coming."

Naruto, fighting the urge to cackle like a madman, and finally willing to admit to himself that he was making the right decision, slid over and next to Kiba, who wrapped a protective arm around the blonde. "Still not sure if this is the right idea..." he said.

"Yes you are, or you wouldn't be here," mumbled Kiba as he leaned his head against Naruto's hair. "You never do anything unless you're sure about it."

An odd, and almost unknown feeling of comfort washed over Naruto. "Dog-breath," he grumbled, although he could not for the life of him figure out why.

"There's the Naruto I remember..."

"Go ta sleep..." he yawned.

Kiba smiled and did just that.

--

They slept straight through dawn and into the middle of the morning. Kiba finally managed to pull himself out of his blissful sleep when he heard Neji add wood to the fire and starting lunch. "Neji? What time is it?"

"Close to 10:30 already. You three sleep like rocks."

Kiba grinned, "Yeah..." He yawned, "Should'a woken us up sooner."

"I thought about it, but you need the sleep, and I'm almost positive he's going to wake up with a fair sized chunk of his memories back if I leave him like that with you."

"I hope so," he said. "It's hard seeing him like that, not knowing who he is, or who we are for that matter."

Neji nodded and went to pack the tent.

--

Naruto woke up and looked around confused. His right side was curiously cold, and he couldn't figure out why. He stared at the empty space between him and where he was sure Akamaru had been last night and started panicking. Where the hell was Kiba?

"Whoa there Naruto. Don't start hyperventilating."

Naruto's head whipped around and he saw Kiba holding their packs. "Shit Kiba, give me a heart attack..." he grumbled.

"Sorry, but one of us had to get up and help pack the camp site. I wanted to leave Akamaru there with you, but Neji wanted him to scout ahead for a little while." He offered Naruto a plate of food and added, "Hurry up and eat, we gotta get moving soon."

"Could a just woken me up yanno," he said as he dug in.

"Yeah, but you looked like you where having such a wonderful dream that I couldn't bring myself to it."

"I was...I think... it's fuzzy now."

"What do you remember of it?"

"Hmmm... smell of roasting meat, warm breezes, lots of sand. Something about Akamaru's getting too big for something. Stargazing with you and and some other people... Neji and a guitar?"

"Hehehe yeah, that was defiantly one of the best vacation's we ever had."

"It happened?"

"Yeah, about three years before everything went ta hell. All of us had time off and we decided to hit the beach for an extended weekend," he smiled, remembering.

"Then, I wasn't just imagining Neji with a guitar?"

"Nope."

"Huh... doesn't seem like the type." He shoved the rest of his plate and rinsed it off with the canteen Kiba handed him.

Kiba just shrugged and helped Naruto to stand up. "Would you believe you where the one cooking during the entire weekend?"

"I was? Damn, I must have some serious culinary skills."

"Only with ramen and on the grill. Not that you don't cook well," he added, "But thats were you're the best."

"Ramen eh? Always wondered why I was so attracted to the smell."

"You used to eat a months worth of ramen every week back home at ol' man Ichiraku's."

"You'll have to take me there when we get to Konoha."

"First night. Ichiraku will be ecstatic to see his favorite customer alive and well."

"Favorite customer? How often did I eat there?"

"Just about every night. Unless I made you come over to my house to eat something remotely healthy. Or I cooked something."

"Remotely healthy?"

"Yeah, heavy on protein isn't the healthiest of diets, but it's better then nothing but ramen for weeks on end."

"Kiba, Naruto, we need to move out. I want to be home before dark."

Naruto, grinning wickedly, "Hey Neji, where's your guitar?"

Neji and Kiba stopped dead, staring at Naruto.

"What?"

"You... you said the exact same thing the first night back from the beach vacation..." he said, blinking.

"I did?"

They nodded.

"Huh... channeling myself?"

"Okay then..." said Kiba.

"Are you ready to move Naruto?"

"Yeah," he said. Neji smothered the fire and they left the camp site.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well... there's a sight I never thought I'd see," mused Naruto as the three of them stood outside the gates of Konoha.

"Come on Naruto. You only lived here for twenty years."

"Oh shut up. You know what I mean."

"Come on, we have to report in."

"Soooo not looking forward to this..." grumbled Naruto as they passed the Chuunin manning the security desk just inside the gates. He waved them inside, giving Naruto an odd look.

"Okay...?"

"It's just Tonbo. He's probably wondering why you're not in cuffs or something."

"Did I know him?"

"Not really. Most of us only know him by sight, since he's always on some kind of security watch. Doesn't get out all that much."

"Ahh." They continued walking through town, Neji and Kiba getting the occasional nod from people they knew.

"Naruto??" came a hesitant voice from a few feet away.

The blonde turned and saw a pink-hair medic-nin standing just outside one of the stores lining the street.

"Oh my God! It is you!!" She ran and glomped him happily, on the verge of tears. "I can't believe it!!"

Naruto, confused and a bit uncomfortable, patted the girl on the shoulder and said, "Nice to see you too?"

"Ah Sakura, this isn't the best time for this," said Kiba, edging away slowly.

Sakura let go and stared at Naruto, amazement still gleaming in her eyes. "Where have you been all this time? How did you survive? Who gave you that scar on your cheek? Where'd you get that sword? And why are you looking at me like that?"

Naruto blinked, confused at trying to figure out where to start.

Kiba interrupted with, "Sakura! We really need to get him to headquarters. We're under orders to report immediately, so we don't have time to catch up here."

Sakura turned to Neji, who nodded. "Fine," she sighed. "But I'm getting everyone together at Ichiraku's tonight then."

"You might want to wait until tomorrow. This is going to be a reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaally long debriefing."

"I'll bet. Well, I'm off today, so Shizune'll be doing the post mission check-ups."

"Oh great... She's been trying to find a reason to call me in for almost a month now. I'm over due for my tetanus booster."

"We'll, she's got you now. Have fun Kiba. See you later Naruto," she waved.

Naruto returned the wave, "Yeah, okay Sakura..." They'd walked maybe a hundred feet when Naruto stopped dead. "Oh my god! On the bridge! She's was the girl protecting the bridge builder! I remember now!"

Kiba grinned, "Yeah, she was on the same team as you when you graduated the academy."

"Then who was the dark-haired guy?"

Neji and Kiba shared a look. Kiba replied, "Ummm that's a story better saved for later."

"Why?"

"Just trust me... You'll find out soon enough, but for now it's best you don't know."

"Okay..."

They lapsed back into silence, as Naruto was too busy looking around and the others where too busy glaring at anyone that tried to come any closer.

Oh course, there where a few they let through.

"N-Naruto-kun?" came what had to be the most unbelievably shocked voice he'd ever heard. He stared at the dark-haired girl standing stock-still a hundred feet in front of them. The girl quickly walked closer, "It can't be..." He noticed the eyes, and realized she was a Hyuuga like Neji.

"Ummm... Hi?"

Blushing deeply and failing to meet his eyes, "It's great to see you Naruto-kun."

Neji sighed, but it was lost in the breeze.

Naruto stared at her and had the strangest feeling of recognition. It was vague, but he remembered the scent of lavender. And a name, the first he'd be able to get. "Hinata?"

All three stared at him.

"I remember you," he said brightly. "I actually remember!" He hugged her tightly, "It's a miracle!!"

Hinata squeaked and nearly melted into him. She didn't really care what he was ranting about at the moment.

"Naruto, I'd let her go before she passes out," chuckled Kiba. "She has a tendency of doing that if she's too close to you."

He let the poor woman go and she nearly fell over. Neji managed to grab her before she lost her balance and helped her stay standing.

"I think you just made her day," said Kiba.

"She just made my day," grinned Naruto. "She's the first person I've manage to get anything from so fast."

"What do you mean he's lost his memories?" asked Hinata. Neji had been explaining Naruto's reaction to her for the past few seconds. She looked at him, seeking confirmation.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah... well... yeah, I kinda have. You're actually the first person that I haven't had to tell me who they were."

And that made her go weak again.

"Does she always do that," he asked Kiba in a whisper.

"Pretty much," he answered.

"Really? Why?"

"She's had a thing for you since before we graduated."

"Ohhh... Did we...?"

"No. But that never stopped her from hoping."

"Huh boy, my life was complicated."

"Got that right. Let's just hope we can get past Konohamaru."

"Who?"

"Third Hokage's grandson, prankster-king of the Chuunin, learned every crazy prank and perverted jutsu he knows from you, idolizes you like you where his awesomely cool older brother."

"Perverted jutsu?"

"Oh don't tell me you don't remember any of them."

"I do... but I never thought I came up with them. Please tell me it was the influence of my sensei."

"Well, not really. You had three pretty bad ones before you even graduated from the academy. But after training with Jiraiya-sama, you came back with an insane amount more."

"I trained with a Sannin?"

"Yeah," said Kiba. "You trained with the old pervert for over three years."

"Huh, no wonder I know stuff people have never even heard of."

"Yeah, he taught you some of your favorite techniques. Rasengan, Summoning jutsu, that really useful invisibility and see through walls one that you refuse to even speak the name of in fear someone might steal it from you, and a couple a more I can't think of right now."

"So what, the Rasengan is one of those master-to-pupil kind a techniques or what?"

"Actually, your father created it and taught it to Jiraiya-sama. Then he taught it to you. I dunno if that's the same thing or not."

"My dad created it?"

"Yeah, it was one of his specialties. Same as you."

"Cool..."

"We're here," said Neji calmly. They stood in front of a large building. "Come on, we're probably already late."

Akamaru settled down out side to wait and Kiba mumbled, "Oh this ought ta be good. We'd better keep him away from the mission room, Iruka'll have a heart attack."

Neji nodded and they made to take the long way around.

--

Course, taking the long way doesn't always guarantee not running into some people. So when Kiba and Neji spotted the silver-haired Jounin and brunette Chuunin walking towards them, they freaked and tried to hide Naruto.

Which, considering it was Kakashi Hatake they were trying to hide him from, was a waste of effort.

"What are you two up to?" he asked, suspicious of why even Neji Hyuuga was trying to conceal someone under a cloak.

"Nothing Kakashi-sensei!" replied Kiba a little too quickly.

"Who's under the cloak?" asked Iruka.

Kiba froze. Neji couldn't come up with anything either.

"Boys?"

Iruka, shaking his head, "You better not have tried to dye Raidou's hair again."

"Um... I think it was Anko's turn to do that this month actually," said Kiba nervously.

"We really have to get going sensei. We're late for debriefing." Neji even sounded nervous, which was all Kakashi needed to reach out and yank the cloak from their hands.

Silence.

"Naruto...?"

Kakashi blinked, "Well I'll be. You did survive."

"Um... Hi...sensei?"

"Before you say anything, there's something you need to..." and was cut off by the Chuunin slamming his clipboard across the top of Naruto's head.

"You idiot!! Where have you been! I've been worried sick about you for years!"

"That hurt Iruka-sensei!" he yowled, rubbing his head.

"Serves you right, disappearing for five years like that!"

Neji and Kiba stared for a moment before Neji said, "So much for not being able to remember who Iruka-sensei is."

"Why can he remember everyone else but me...?" sighed Kiba, face palming.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"He's supposed to have lost his memory, but apparently he remember you just fine."

"I think it was the blow to the head," said Naruto uncertainly. "For some reason, the second he hit me all I could think was 'Iruka-sensei'."

"Well, at least we know pain works as a trigger," said Kiba.

"So wait, you've lost your memories?"

"Yeah... I don't really remember anything before waking up in the village five years ago."

"What village?"

"Later people. We are defiantly late now." Neji pretty much dragged Kiba and Naruto along, calling back to Iruka and Kakashi, "Sorry, but we have got to move."

--

"You're late."

"Sorry," apologized Neji contritely. "We were detained several times by people amazed to see Naruto alive."

"That is no excuse," said the parrot-masked ANBU manning the desk. He waved to Shizune, who was standing near the wall, "Shizune will need to see Naruto before he can be debriefed."

"It's amazing to see you Naruto," she said, obviously happy to see him. "Don't worry, I'll have you checked out and cleared pretty fast. Just leave your sword out here with Kiba." She opened a door off of the main room.

Naruto slid his sword off his back, handed it to Kiba, and went in without saying a word, just nodding at Shizune. She walked in after and shut the door.

"Well, get started, I don't have all day here."

--

Naruto checked out clean, and after the three of them were debriefed and had a chance to clean up, where called to the Hokage's office.

They stood outside waiting, since Tsunade was busy yelling at poor Izumo and Kotetsu for no apparent reason. Although the phrases 'misfiled paper work' and 'don't get paid to be lazy' were a good indication of what was going on.

The yelling stopped and the poor overworked Jounin slumped out of her office.

Kiba gripped Kotetsu's shoulder, "Don't worry about it man. You know Shizune's trying to get her to sober up again."

"Don't remind me..." he groaned. "I want to kill her every time she does."

"She never going to learn," agreed Izumo, rubbing his temples. "Tsunade-sama just can't survive without alcohol."

"Or caffeine," added Kotetsu.

"Why did she go off caffeine?"

"Ino stopped telling us what to get her and she hated the stuff we ordered..."

"Ahhh."

"Well, at least the days almost over. You guys have what, half an hour left on duty?"

"Feh I wish," grumbled Kotetsu. "I've got a double shift tonight."

"Ouch..." Kiba flinched. "Want me to send Hana over with some rice balls later? She was supposed to make a fresh batch today."

"That's be great Kiba, thanks."

"Anything for someone that can put up with that all day. What are you doing tonight Izumo?"

"Hanging out with Genma and Raidou. Nothing else going on. You?"

"Not sure yet. Prolly gunna be showing Naruto around and fighting off all our friends."

"Oh.. well have fun with that." They both sighed and started down he hallway. Ten second later, Kiba's words finally hit. They both froze and turned around. "Naruto??" they echoed.

The blonde waved and waited for the inevitable question.

"So then I wasn't just misreading the report you sent?" Izumo said to Kiba.

"Nope. This is really Naruto."

"Welcome back Naruto," smiled Kotetsu. "It's been really dull around here without you."

"Is it sad that we equate quiet with dull?"

"Not really. Just means you're a ninja."

"Okay, that makes me feel better."

Shizune opened the door and motioned for them to come in.

"Say hi to Genma and Raidou for us," said Kiba as a goodbye.

"Sure thing Kiba," replied Izumo as the doors closed.

--

"Well then, the infamous Naruto Uzumaki is back," was the first thing out of Tsunade's mouth.

"Hello Hokage-sama," he bowed politely.

Tsunade blinked, "Since when have you been polite?"

Naruto stared, confused.

"You haven't read the reports yet Tsunade-sama?"

"Of course I have Kiba," she waved dismissively. "It's just odd seeing him so quiet and normal acting."

"Am I missing something here?"

"Naruto, ever since the day we met, you been nothing but loud and obnoxious. You never listen to a word I say, back-talk me constantly, plot ways to mess with me, take extreme pleasure in screwing with my face on the Hokage monument, and used the fact that you where pretty much a shoe in for being the Rokudaime Hokage to get away with disobeying me at every turn. That, and you've started more fights that have ended up destroying my office then there are sandstorms in Suna over the course of ten years."

Naruto was silent for a minute. "I really did all that?" He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Huh boy..." she said, reaching for where she normally kept her alcohol. "This is going to be a hard couple of months..." She finally realized why there was nothing for her hand to grab onto and glared at Shizune.

"So I really was in line to be Hokage?"

She stared at him. "Geeze kid, you really must have lost your memory if you've forgotten that."

"So I've been told."

"Well anyway, Shizune said you're physically in great shape. She's going to have to update you old health records, and you'll need a full physical sometime in the next week, but other then that, it doesn't seem like theres anything wrong with you. Now, as for the amnesia, there's really nothing we can do about that, except for surrounding you with stuff that should be familiar. Yanno, people you knew, your old stuff, junk like that. I'd like to have you cleared for return to duty pretty soon, but I'm more then willing to wait until you've gotten most of your memories back before we start sending you on missions again."

"Um... the thing is... I'm not so sure I even want to stay."

Silence.

Tsunade laughed, "Why not? You still want to be Hokage don't you?"

"I don't know?"

"What kind of answer is that?"

"The kind you get from a guy that just spent the last three days being told he led a completely different life then what he can ever remember having."

"Come on Naruto. You can't tell me the life you had before was better then what you can have here."

"Well, it may very well be. I just don't know yet. Plus, I promised Grandma Yuri I'd go back."

"Who?"

"The old lady he'd been staying with in the village we'd found him in. Apparently, she's the one that found him and nursed him back to health after they fished him out of the river. He's been staying with her whenever he was in town since then."

"Yeah. She's the only family I've got, really."

"What about Iruka? And Kiba here? How about Konohamaru?"

"Well..."

"He just doesn't remember any of it."

"Really?" she said. "I would have thought seeing them would have triggered a few memories."

"It has," said Naruto. "But only one, and it's not very clear."

"Have you seen Iruka yet?"

"We ran into him and Kakashi-sensei downstairs. They were part of the reason we were late," answered Neji.

"Who exactly have you seen so far?"

"Sakura, Hinata, Kakashi, Iruka, Kotetsu, and Izumo."

"Oh that must have been fun. What did Sakura do when she saw him?"

"Glomped me," he answered.

"And Hinata?"

"Nearly fainted when Naruto hugged her."

"You remembered her?"

"A little. I remembered her name and the lavender perfume she wears; not much else."

"Well, it's a start." She opened a file on her desk, "Kiba, I'm assigning you to be Naruto's guide and escort while he gets settled in. Do what you can to help him get his memories back. If you need to borrow people to do it, that's fine. Just clear it a with me or their immediate supervisors. You won't be taking any missions until I'm adequately satisfied that he's gotten at least his memories of his comrades and the village back. Missions and things of that nature are low priority at this point. Go slow, and we might just have the Naruto we all love back in just a few months."

"Yes Tsunade-sama."

"Can I leave the village at all?"

"Only with an escort. I know it doesn't seem fair right now, but I just can't risk you bailing on us."

"So if if Kiba comes with, I can go visit Grandma Yuri?"

"In a month or so, sure. You can write to her if you want."

"I can live with that," said Naruto, obviously not really happy, but tolerating the restrictions anyway.

"Okay boys, off you go. Neji, you've got about a year's worth of vacation time stored, you want to take a few days off?"

"I guess I could," he said. "A week off would be nice, and Kiba's going to need back-up to keep everyone from smothering Naruto.."

"Alright, a week's paid vacation it is." She scribbled something on scroll and hollered. "Izumo! Kotetsu! One of you get in here!"

Kotetsu appeared, "Yes Tsunade-sama?"

"Take this down to ANBU headquarters."

"Right away!" He dissapeared.

"Well, what are you three still doing here? Get going!"

They all bowed and quickly exited the office.

--

"So, we're all basically on paid vacation for the awhile, what do you want to do?"

"I have to get home. Naruto's reappearance is going to make for some interesting conversations tonight."

"I'll bet," chuckled Kiba dryly. "See ya later then Neji." Akamaru, having already rejoined them, barked his own goodbye.

"Yeah, later Neji."

"Goodbye," and he dissapeared.

"Well then, We've got a couple of hours until nightfall, wanna do anything?"

"I'm having the strangest craving for ramen."

"Off to Ichiraku's then."

--

They ducked under the half screen separating the bar of Ichiraku's from the street, leaving poor Akamaru sitting outside yet again.

"Welcome," said ol' man Ichiraku brightly. "What can I get you?" he asked automatically. Then noticing who it was he changed to, "Hey Kiba. Been awhile since you came in. Want the regular, or you feel like something new?"

"Yeah, got stuck with a surprise mission and had to take off really fast. And I could use a couple a bowls of the old standby. My friend here wants the Miso with extra pork."

Ichiraku looked at Naruto and blinked, then turned to Kiba and said, "Not funny Kiba. You guys know that transforming into Naruto isn't going to get you free ramen."

"That was Konohamaru and you know it. I'd never do anything that creepy. ANBU hasn't screwed me up that much, not yet anyway."

"Well then who's this, because I'd swear he was Naruto's twin if I didn't already know that our favorite idiot was an only child."

"Ahh... well, I am Naruto...Kinda..."

"Kinda? How can you kinda be Naruto? Are you or aren't you?"

"He's Naruto alright," said Kiba firmly. "He's just lost his memories. Essentially everything before they fished him out of a river five years ago is blank."

"You got a way to prove that he's not some spy or someone with a really good transformation jutsu?"

"Naruto? Show him your Rasengan."

"Okay..." He summoned a clone and had it form the Rasengan in his left hand.

"Well I'll be," grinned Ichiraku as the clone dissapeared. "You really are Naruto! Well then, all you can eat on the house, just like always!"

"Sweet," he grinned and sat down. Kiba chuckled, sitting down next to him.

"So Naruto, where you been hiding all this time?"

"Um... I've been traveling mostly. Plenty to see and do out there if you're willing to take the time."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I did some traveling in my younger days. Nowadays I just can't ever seem to find the time. But that's okay, I'm happy enough here, and there's always ninja coming in with tales of the places they've been. It's enough like being there to keep me happy."

"Well, I've got some pretty good tales of the places I've been. If you're interested, that is."

So they spent the better part of the afternoon and most of the evening sitting at the bar of Ichiraku's, listening to Naruto tell the stories of the places he'd been and all the cool things he'd seen. Ol' man Ichiraku would counter-point some of Naruto's stories with similar ones of his own, and Kiba just sat there, grinning like an idiot, until finally Naruto's bottomless pit of a stomach was appeased and they realized that night had well and truly fallen.

"Bye," waved Naruto contently as they left and Ichiraku started closing up shop.

"See ya tomorrow," added Kiba.

"That was fun," grinned Naruto as they walked down the street. "Now I see why that was my favorite place to eat."

"Yeah, you've loved it there since Iruka-sensei took you for the first time when you where five. I remember walking by and you where sprawled out on the street groaning because you'd eaten too much pork ramen. Course, you where grinning like an idiot," he finished with a laugh.

"So, what now?"

"I dunno. You feel up to hanging out with some of the guys?"

"I think I've had enough gawking and awkwardness for one day."

"Well, we could always just go hang out at home."

"Home, eh? And what would home be?"

"You'll see," he winked and led the curious blonde towards the other end of town.

--

"_Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice,_" said Naruto upon seeing the house for the 'first' time. "It's almost as big as Grandma Yuri's."

"Well, we needed a place with a big backyard for Akamaru, and my mom offered to help us out, so we managed to afford this place. Come on inside, you're gunna love it."

"You're mom must really like me and wanted you out of the house to help us get a place like this..."

"Yeah, but you had plenty of money saved up too, so it wasn't all that bad," he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He flicked the light switch just inside the door and the hallway was illuminated by a half-hearted glow from the over head lights. "Whoops..." he said, looking up. "Forgot to chance out the burned out bulb before I left." He moved so Naruto and Akamaru could walk in and shut the door behind them. The boys took their shoes off and Akamaru padded out toward the living room, settling down with a sigh on a large dog blanket. Naruto slid his sword off his back and leaned it against the wall, next to his pouches and cloak.

"He looks happy," said Naruto as he examined everything he could see.

"Yeah, normally he stays outside most of the time, but he's okay for now."

Naruto picked up a picture from a small end table and held it out to Kiba, "Who's this?"

Kiba grinned and tried not to laugh, "That's Gaara and his siblings. We took that a year after he became Kazekage and you got back from training with Jiraiya. Needless to say, Gaara's not a fan of cameras."

"It's that why he's glaring at the camera like he's wishing it a slow painful death?"

"Yeah, although he used to have that look on his face all the time. He's loosened up a lot after he met you at those first Chuunin exams."

"Huh..." He'd already set it down and moved to another. "Your family?" He was holding a picture of Kiba and some other Inuzuka relatives.

"Yeah. You where supposed to be in that one, but you wanted to be behind the camera instead of in front of it."

"I was there?"

He nodded, "You where spending Christmas with me that year, since Iruka-sensei was in the hospital and Kakashi was off doing gawd knows what as a favor to an old friend in ANBU."

"How long ago was this?"

"Oh man...I don't even think we where out of the academy yet in this one. You where actually a Christmas guest at my house quiet a few times before joining the family."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said. "Whenever Iruka was sick or Kakashi was gone, you stayed with me. It was either that, or would had to have spent Christmas alone, and no one wants that."

"Your family was okay with it?"

"Sure they were. Naruto, we've been best friends almost since the moment we met. You where always hanging around my house, so it wasn't that big a deal for anyone anymore. Got a bit hairy the first time my distant relatives came home, but it didn't last long."

Naruto grinned at that, "What, they saw me and freaked out because the Kyuubi container was hanging around playing with the dogs?"

"Pretty much, yeah. I think it was more that you and I were so close that freaked them out. My clan was one of the ones that fought the hardest against Kyuubi when he attacked the village before the Fourth Hokage sealed him in you, so there was some animosity there. At least, with the ones that didn't know you. The rest kept staring at them like they were nuts."

"Had to make for an interesting night."

"Yeah, well, it was interesting watching Kouromaru and Akamaru beat the living daylights outta my cousin's dogs when they tried to chase you off."

"I'll bet."

"Yeah," Kiba was standing by the phone and pressed the button to check the stored messages. He listened to them for awhile, deleted the ones that where useless, actually listening to the ones from friends asking when the hell he was getting back and to call them. There was one from Sakura with the time for the meet-up, which he saved, and one from his mom reminding him that his cousin's birthday was next week and not to forget to get him something this time.

"This time?"

"Yeah, I kinda forgot to get him something last year. Not my fault I was in the hospital for a nearly two weeks beforehand. I just never had time."

"You ever get him one?"

"No, but I did pull him aside and taught him one of my personal jutsu, so he was happy."

"That's a fair trade, a jutsu for a present. I used to do that with the kids."

"I saw a few of them practicing before you got there. Those two boys have some potential."

"Yeah, they're good, but they'll never get much father then they already are without a real teacher there all the time."

"Too bad you never stayed very long. You're a good teacher."

Naruto laughed, "I don't know about that."

"It's the truth. You used to take a couple a months a year off to teach a class at the academy. All the kids loved you."

"I really can't see myself as a teacher."

"That's what you said when they asked you to do it. You swore you'd only do it once, but by half way through the semester you liked it so much you offered to do it every year."

"What class was it?"

"It started at as an extra-credit supplemental for the kids that where having problems with the basics; clones, transformations, stuff like that. But then you had to go and teach that first crop of kids some of your more questionable jutsu, and all the boys wanted to take it. That, and they spent half the class goofing off, and what academy kid doesn't want to get a grade for doing nothing."

"I got enough accomplished and they improved enough to make it a regular class?"

"Yeah. But you've always been the master of getting the most done while goofing off the entire time."

"True enough. Just never thought that equated with being a good teacher."

"Normally it wouldn't, but you managed to pull it off nicely." He sat on the couch and opened a photo album that had been sitting out. "Come here. There's some good ones in this."

Naruto sat down next to him,"You normally leave photo albums laying around?"

"Naw, but it was a last minute mission and I'd been looking through it before they called me. Didn't have time to put it away." He flipped a few pages. "Look at this one," he gestured at a large, slightly older looking picture. "It's our entire graduating class and the sensei's they assigned us too. We took it a week after graduation." He pointed at himself, "There's me with Shino, Hinata, and Kurenai-sensei. You and your group are over there," he pointed to them on the other side of the picture. "They had to separate our teams because I kept trying to sneak around so I was with you guys."

"What, didn't like your own team?"

"Naw, I just thought I was going to be with you. They'd all but promised you and I would be on a team together, but then you had to go and score so low on your tests and they decided it was better to stick you on the team with the two smart ones."

"Well, she's a medic-nin so it no surprise that Sakura scored really high. Who's the other boy?"

"Sasuke Uchiha, the class prodigy. He was the first to score that high since his brother Itachi graduated a few years before hand."

"Sasuke..." He stared at the picture, "I think I remember him. He was with me on the mission where we fought Zabuza, right?"

"Course he was, he was your team-mate. That was your first A-rank mission," he added. "You guys were the first from our class to get one."

"There's no way they'd send a Genin team fresh outta the academy on an A-rank."

"It stared at a C-rank, but the client lied to us. He said he just need protection from the usual highway thugs and bandits. He never said anything about having Ninja after him."

"Well that was smart," Naruto snorted. "That's a good way to get a bunch of kids killed."

"You survived it, didn't you?"

"Obviously."

"Then don't complain. Anyway, you used to beg for B- and A-ranked missions all the time. I don't know how many times I watched you refuse D- and C-ranks because you thought they were too boring."

"Actually sounds like something I'd do," he said. "I'm kinda surprised they let me get away with it."

"Ah, you got yelled at and smacked quiet a bit actually, but you'd always been like that so we're all used to it."

"So, other then a prankster and total annoyance, what else was I?"

"You weren't an annoyance," chuckled Kiba. "Trickster, definitely, but never an annoyance. Everyone's hyperactive as a kid, and you just never outgrew it. Honestly, I agree with Kotetsu and Izumo, quiet is dull. And anyway, you balanced your team out pretty well. Sasuke was too quiet and serious, and Sakura was too focused and always showing off how smart she was. You brought the enthusiasm and a love of fun to what otherwise would have been a really boring team."

"I dunno about that, but if you say so," he shrugged. He flipped through the photo album so more, stopping randomly on pictures. "Tell me something Kiba... why aren't there any pictures of my family in here? Ichiraku said I was an only child, but why aren't there any of my parents or random relations?"

"Well... you're an orphan actually. You're parents died just after you where born."

"So they story was true. The Fourth Hokage sealed Kyuubi in his only son...me."

"Yeah," he nodded. "And your mother died just a little while after giving birth to you. Iruka pretty much raised you since you where five, and after you and I met you started spending so much time with my family, that we unofficially adopted you. So really, it's always been your friends that have been your family."

"Brother's 'till the end..." he said, eye's far away.

"Exactly. We swore that the day before we started at the academy."

"Yeah... we got put in different classes the first year... You were in the advanced classes at first because you were from a big clan and already knew the basic jutsu and stuff. They had me in catch-up class with all the other clan less kids... I hated it there... everyone I knew was in your class or the class ahead... Lee, Neji, and Tenten... They're a year older then us... I remember now, we used to sit together at lunch and the older kids made fun of them because they hung out with a first-year and and the 'demon kid.' Hinata was there too... She was always near me or Neji... Sakura was with ...some blonde girl... can't remember her name... and then there was another boy... had spiky hair... from one of the big clans... Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, he's from the Nara clan. Used to be a big lazy layabout. Genius though, and the first from our class to make Chuunin. He's an exam proctor and has a Genin team. The blonde girl is Ino Yamanaka. She's Sakura's best friend and a Chuunin"

"Who's the guy that was always with them... usually had a bag of snacks with him... always smiling...?"

"Choji Akamichi. He's Shikamaru's best friend. Good guy, really loyal friend."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Huh... I guess it really is up there..."

"Just going to take time to get to it."

"Tell me about Sasuke. He was on my team, but I don't remember anything about him except for what happened on the bridge."

"Well, he was your rival from the day you were put in the regular classes with the rest of us. He was one of the lucky ones, lots of natural talent, major head start, from a prestigious clan, all the girls loved him, got all the attention without even trying. You hated that, so you where always goofing off and causing trouble so we'd focus on you. But then you where always trying to prove yourself. Most of the kids and some of the sensei's thought that you shouldn't be there. You where always getting discounted, always getting picked last for teams, got yelled at by the teachers for stuff others where doing. You picked him as your benchmark, and spent years trying to get better then him. Even when you got put on a team with him, you where always competing. He was stronger early on and still got all the breaks, but you trained harder and eventually got to the point that you where pretty much equal with him. You should have seen the look on his face when they told him you'd been training with a Sannin before the finals of the third exam. I'd never seen him so angry before."

"What happened during the exams?"

"You guys just made it through the first and second exams. Come the prelims for the third exam, he just beat out his opponent, Sakura and Ino's battle ended in a draw, and you kicked my ass. Off you go to train with Jiraiya, he teaches you the Summoning jutsu, you get to be the lucky one to go up against Neji in the first round, just manage to beat him, and then the shit with the Suna/Oto invasion happens, they cancel the exams, you and Sasuke go after Gaara, you kick Gaara's ass, and the rest is history."

"Wait, I beat Sabaku no Gaara? I seriously beat the Kazekage?"

"Yeah, you and your biggest frog buddy Gamabunta. Wasn't easy, you were both pretty badly beaten up by the time it was over. I doubt Gaara could even move, and he told me about how you chin crawled over to him, since the rest of you was a bloody mess."

"So I guess I take the phrase, 'Never give up' to a new level."

Kiba chuckled, "Yeah, sounds about right. You do seem to have trouble figuring out when it's time to give up and go home."

"You'd think that being ANBU would have taught me some sense."

"Yeah, but being ANBU also tends to warp you into something totally different then what you where before. You however, seemed to be completely immune to its effects."

"What about you, eh? Still the same Kiba you where before ANBU or what?"

"More or less," he shrugged. "I've been told I'm not as rowdy and a bit quieter, but that's more from getting older and growing up then ANBU. I dunno, maybe spending so much time with you made me immune to it too."

"So, about the thing tomorrow, is everyone gunna just gawk at me for five minutes and glomp me like Sakura did, or is it gunna be one giant party?"

"Um... depends on who your talking about. Ino might act like Sakura, but she won't glomp you...probably. Lee'll freak and start rambling on about youthfulness and stuff like that, Tenten will hit you, and it will hurt, but then she hug you. Shikamaru will either act lazy and depressive or smile and start asking you about stuff you did. Choji'll stand in the background with that smile on his face, munching on his snacks, wait until everyone else has had a turn then walk up and start asking about how the food was out there and after that he'll join in with Lee in demanding stories of stuff you've done and where you've been. Knowing Sakura, she's going to make Kakashi and Iruka show up too, which isn't a bad thing, but Iruka's going to be in full on mother-hen mode for the next month or so. If Kakashi can get his nose outta his damn book for five minutes, he might ask you about what you've been up too, but I doubt it. It takes way more then his ex-pupil seemingly coming back from the dead to get away from those books."

"Huh... So bring aspirin?"

"Oh yeah... lots and lots of aspirin. Earplugs help too. And I'd leave the sword here. I can almost guarantee you'll get spooked by one of them and the last thing you need is to slice an old friend in half."

"Can I borrow one of yours then? Cause I really don't like going anywhere without my sword..."

"That's a change," he said. "You never used to carry your sword with you when you in the village. Only ever wore it during missions."

"Once I get used to this place I'll probably stop carrying one with me."

"Sure thing. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still have one of your old ones here."

"You kept my old weapons?"

"I kept most of your stuff actually. I mean, I gave away your old scrolls and junk, since they're easy enough to replace, but I kept weapons and personal effects. Hell, I've been using some of your old weapons for years now. We always used to just grab whichever pack was closest when we had missions."

"Wouldn't that get confusing, since you use stuff that I don't?"

"Not really. We always had two of everything, so our packs were nearly identical. My first-aide kit had more in it, since I've got more training as a field medic then you do, but that was about it."

"Huh... so what in here is mine?"

"Most of the wall art is yours, courtesy of Gaara and Temari. They visited a few weeks after we moved in and Temari thought that the house was too bare. So she sent a bunch of art and stuff too you on your birthday. Funny thing is, none of us ever knew she had such a good eye for art, never seemed the type. All the glass work was made by Gaara at one time or another since he took up glass making as a hobby about ten years ago."

"Wow... he's really good at it."

"Yeah, but he had a lot of time to practice when he first started and put the effort in to hone his craft. I've seen his work sell in Suna for more then both of us make in three years."

"Now I'm afraid I'm going to break it... I'm clumsy as hell when I first wake up of a morning."

"Me too, but he made the ones he sent to us out of his personal sand so it's nearly indestructible. Gaara knows us well."

"How about the sketches and the black and white art? It doesn't look the same as the others."

"That's Sai's work. He's was on your team for a few years after you came back from training with Jiraiya. He's ex-ANBU and a painter-nin, the only one the village has had for two generations. You actually ask him to paint a few, and there's one of us together that he painted as a gift on my birthday a few years back."

"Sai? Huh... getting a blank for him... is he coming tomorrow?"

"No, he's on an extended mission and no one has a clue when he's coming back. I tried to find out a couple a months ago, but no one at headquarters would tell me and when I tried to find the mission request it was sealed and in the high security vault. So yeah... no clue where he is at the moment."

"Well that sucks. He must be pretty interesting if he can draw like that."

"Actually, he's kinda quiet and not very good with socializing. His division in ANBU was a special unit that had all kinds of weird training to make them into the 'perfect ninja', so he missed out on all those little experiences and junk when your a kid that teach you how to interact with people. Everything he knows he's learned from books and people-watching, but he has no clue how to use it the right way. He loves to give people weird nicknames and says whatever is on his mind, which can lead to trouble around the girls. I've seen him piss Sakura off so much that she's sent him to the hospital to get a full body cast before."

"Ouch..."

"Got that right... You do not want to be in the receiving end of one of her punches. She can do about as much physical damage with her fist as you can do with your Rasengan as normal strength."

"Okay... remind me never to piss Sakura off."

"Don't worry, her temper has evened out in the years since she trained with Tsunade. Nowadays you _reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaally _have to say or do something retarded to get hit."

"She trained with Tsunade? What, did my whole team train with a Sannin?"

"Well, yeah. You trained with Jiraiya, she trained with Tsunade, and Sasuke trained with Oorochimaru."

"Wait, Sasuke trained with Oorochimaru? What the hell? Isn't he the one that was trying to destroy Konoha for a bunch of years?"

Kiba hesitated. "Ummm... maybe we should hold off on Sasuke's story for now..."

"Kiba, tell me. I want to know," he said, adamantly.

"Naruto... this really isn't the best time to be hearing the story..."

"Tell me Kiba."

Kiba sighed, "Sometimes you're too stubborn for your own good." He paused to collect his thoughts before beginning, "It's stared during the Second Chuunin exams. I don't know exactly when, but sometime during the second or third day, you guys ran into a team of Grass ninja. Thing is, they weren't Grass ninja, but Oorochimaru and a couple of his henchmen that had killed and replaced them. He summoned one of his snakes to keep you busy and went after Sasuke. He pinned him down and infected him with a curse mark. You guys escaped, thanks to Lee, who was acting on his own, and Shikamaru's team. You guys finished the stage and went on to the thirds prelims. Sasuke won his fight, Kakashi took him aside and tried to seal the curse, but it didn't work. They thought it did, but during the battle with Gaara, Sasuke used too much of his chakra to keep the seal in place and the curse got loose. He managed to get it back under control, but it had spread far enough to affect his judgment. He was being lured into Oorochimaru's trap little by little. Then Oorochimaru's personal Oto-nin came and convinced Sasuke that the only way he was ever going to get stronger was if he went to Oorochimaru. So Sasuke, under the cover of night, defected. Sakura tried to stop him, but he knocked her unconscious before she could call for help. The next morning when we found out, Tsunade sent you, me, Choji, and Neji out under Shikamaru's command to bring him back. We got separated fighting the Oto-nin, and you were the only one left to go after Sasuke. Another Oto-nin came and held you up, but then Lee showed up and you took off after Sasuke. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro came and helped Lee, Shikamaru, and I defeat the Oto-nin that where pinning us down, and you found Sasuke at the river. The two of you duked it out for awhile, there was a showdown between the Rasengan and the Chidori, twice I think you said, Sasuke won and left you there to die. Kakashi came and got you, they had you in the hospital for a few weeks after that, and you spent the next two months begging Tsunade to let you go after him. She never let you, Jiraiya showed up and told you that you where going to train with him for two years, you left, and then came back. A two years later, you and Sasuke had another showdown, and you won."

"So then, where's Sasuke now?" he asked quietly, honestly afraid of the answer.

"He... he never got up... both of you where badly injured before the battle even started, and in the end it was too much for him. But you have to understand, his body was already ravaged from the curse that Oorochimaru had put on him, and the damage was further augmented by what his his Mangekyou Sharingan was doing. He never really had a chance against you by then. You where just to far above him and in much better condition."

Naruto was silent.

"This is why I didn't want you to know yet. It's hard enough dealing with everything else, and Sasuke's always been a really sore spot with you. You never really got over it completely, and it's got to be so much worse hearing it second hand and not being able to remember any of it."

More silence.

"Naruto? I know this is stupid to ask, but are you okay?"

Yet more silence.

Kiba waved a hand in front of Naruto's eyes.

Nothing.

"Uh-oh. That's not good..." He shook Naruto's shoulder gently, trying to get some kind of reaction.

Still nothing.

Kiba knelt in front of him and stared into his eyes. Naruto's eyes had glazed over, and it was pretty obvious that even though the lights where on, nobody was home. He sighed and went to call Shizune.

--

"You actually let him talk you into telling him bout Sasuke??" demanded Shizune when she got there and saw Naruto, still sitting in the exact same position. "How in the hell could you have that poor judgment!? You know how badly Sasuke screwed him up!"

"I know! Kami, I know better then anyone just how messed up he is over it! But he was practically begging me to tell him and you know I can't resist that look of his!"

"Well, we knew something like this was going to happen eventually, I was just hoping it would have taken longer."

"What can you do?"

"Not much of anything. You can try and shock him out of it, but I'd suggest getting every possible weapon out of the house and tyeing him up before you try. Might even want to have Neji here to as back-up. Other then that, you're just going to have to wait it out. My guess is, you triggered a memory so powerful that it's shoved the rest of reality to the back of his mind and he'll come around when it's finished."

"Any idea how long that'll take?"

"I wish," she said. "Your guess is as good as mine. My advice, stay close to him. He's going to need you nearby when he finally comes around."

"I figured as much..." he sighed.

"In all seriousness Kiba, I really wouldn't try shocking him. He's going to be freaking out pretty badly anyway, and you may end up with a reaction like what you get from waking up someone having a nightmare. You seriously want to have back-up here if you're going to go down that road."

"I think it's better for him just to come around on his own," said Kiba slowly. "It's hard knowing there nothing I can do to help him right now, but I can deal with it."

"Well, there's nothing I can do here. Call me when he wakes up, or if anything happens before then."

Kiba nodded and went to show her out. "What have I done..." he sighed sadly as the door closed behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Kiba sat with Naruto all night, never really moving, just waiting. He'd finally fallen asleep just before dawn when Naruto finally moved.

Blinking sleepily and wondering why the hell the sun was already coming up, he glanced over at the clock on the wall and said, "How long've I been out...?" He turned and saw Kiba slumped over on the chair that sat adjacent to the couch. He got up awkwardly, his legs stiff from the lack of movement and the position he'd been in for so long. He stretched his swore muscles and yawned.

The yawn was enough to wake Kiba from his daze. "Wha's goin' on...?" he asked, blinking and looking around. Seeing Naruto standing a few feet away, "Oh thank Kami! I was starting to really worry about you."

"How long have I been out for?"

"Uh..." he glanced at the clock, "... 'bout seven hours... give or take a few minutes."

"Oh..."

"How do you feel?"

"I've got a headache like you wouldn't believe, and my muscles are killing me, but other then that I feel okay."

"I can believe it... You hadn't moved an inch when I finally crashed."

"How long ago did you fall asleep?"

"I dunno... thirty minutes maybe?"

Yawning yet again, "What time did we have to be up?"

"We had to get up?" chuckled Kiba. "Naruto, neither of us gets up before noon unless we have a mission that day."

"Yeah... figured as much."

"Well, five hours of sleep is better then none..." he said, looking out the window at the pre-dawn twilight. "I don't know about you, but bed is sounding mighty good at this point."

"Yeah..." he nodded.

"You want to crash in the guest room or what?"

"Prolly a good idea," he responded.

"Come on, I'll show you where it is."

--

Noon rolled around way too fast for the exhausted boys. Kiba was jolted awake by loud pounding at the front door. He'd just managed to get untangled from the covers when he heard a loud 'thud!' coming from the guest room. Blinking sleepily, he stood up and walked out of his bedroom and towards the front door. "What?" he said sleepily as he opened it.

"Stayed up all night, didn't ya?"

"Shut up Konohamaru. You know better then to come over before one-thirty, 'specially the day after a mission."

"I know, but I just ran into Sakura an..."

"Stop right there... I know what you're going to say. And the answer is no. You can wait until tonight."

"Awwwwww but Kiba...!!" he begged.

"Child, I don't care if you are the Third Hokage's grandson, nor that Naruto's practically your big brother. You are not going to wake him up when he's only had five hours of sleep. Do you want to get chopped in half?"

"Come on Kiba... he wouldn't hurt me."

"Wanna bet...?" grumbled Naruto as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. He yawned and glared daggers at the teen, "Who're you?"

Konohamaru looked like he'd just been punched in the gut. "Come on boss, don't joke like that!"

"Not joking," he replied, yawning again. "I seriously have no idea who you are."

"Didn't Sakura tell you when you saw her Konohamaru?"

"Uhh... if she had something to tell me then I guess I didn't give her enough time."

"Yeah... well, if you would have waited a minute or two, she would have told you that he's lost his memories."

"You've what!?"

"I've got amnesia," answered Naruto calmly. "So yeah, sorry, but you're just drawing a blank."

"Oh come on!!"

"Konohamaru, calm down. Tell you what, you wait to yell at him until tonight, and I'll let you have the puppy you've been looking at. How's that?"

Konohamaru sighed, "Fine... but you and I have a lot to talk about bro."

"Hang on... were you the one that was with me the time I painted 'Yondaime rules, Godaime is ugly!' all over the Hokage monument?"

"Hehehehe... that was one of my better ideas, if I do say so myself."

"Your idea my ass! I spent three days thinking that one up!"

"Ha! You do remember me!"

"Go home Konohamaru," growled Kiba as he shoved the kid outside. "If you pass Lee on the way back into town, tell him to knock before he breaks the door down."

"Yeah, yeah..." he said, hands shoved in his pockets, already walking away.

Kiba shut the door, "Sometimes I wonder why you put up with that kid..."

"So do I."

--

BANGBANGBANGBANG!!

"Speak of the devil..." sighed Kiba as the door exploded off the frame and a non-weight wearing, if the slight blur to his outline was any indication, Lee appeared in the living room.

"NARUTO!!"

Naruto blinked and his jaw hung slack. He could not for the life of him stop staring at Lee's eyebrows...

...or the lack there of...

"Bushy brows? What the hell happened to you?"

Kiba had noticed too, and wasn't trying to hide that he was staring too. "Yeah Lee, what the hell happened to you?"

Lee, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning, embarrassed, "I was tag-teamed by the kids, Ino, Temari, and Sakura the day before yesterday."

"What, Tenten just stood there and let them...? Or was she too busy laughing?"

"Bit of both actually," he replied. "But then again, she did warn me that they where planning to get me this week so I cannot complain. I should have just taken a mission and avoided them."

"Hell yeah you should have taken a mission. You should have been my back-up out there, not that damn probie that almost killed that poor kid."

Lee nodded, "I heard about that from Kakashi-sensei. He said there was a pretty big uproar over at ANBU headquarters when they got your report. And for more then just that..." He turned back to the still gawking Naruto. "Is it true that you've lost your memories?"

"Ummmm... yeah, mostly. It's coming back a little bit at a time now that I'm here in Konoha."

"That's good. I actually ran into Sakura just a few minutes after you three did. She told me you where back, but you were in debriefing by the time I got to headquarters. When I asked Shizune, she said something about amnesia and basically threatened me with bodily harm if I ran over here last night and bugged you. So I waited until today. I guess you kind of expected that because I ran into Konohamaru about a mile from here and he told me to knock before breaking the door down."

"You are somewhat predictable Lee," shrugged Kiba.

"Why aren't you wearing your weights Lee?" asked Naruto, finally noticing the obvious.

"It is easier to escape being caught and detained by Kakashi and Gai-sensei if I do not wear them."

"Ahhhh... How far behind you where they?"

"Actually, they should be here any second."

"Oh this ought to be interesting."

"You have no idea Naruto."

"I'd sit down if I were you. You know Gai's gunna tackle whoever is standing first."

Lee dropped into the empty chair quickly, "Thanks for reminding me."

"YOUTH!! HURRY MY ETERNAL RIVAL OR ELSE I SHALL WIN THE RACE!!"

"GAI THIS IS NOT A RACE!" bellowed Iruka, sounding farther away then said Green-spandex ninja had.

"Huh... they picked up Iruka somewhere?"

"Must have been after I took off my weights," said Lee.

"Please tell me you have another door to stop them with..." came the groaning sigh from the open window on the other side of the room.

"How did you beat Gai?"

"I took the back road." He walked over to where they were sitting and leaned against the wall. "Gai's been at it since you dropped your weights Lee."

"Did you just leave them laying there, or is he carrying them?"

"Actually," he said as he produced said weights from seemingly nowhere, "I have them." He tossed them to Lee, who promptly fastened them back around his wrists and ankles.

"That is better," he said as the weights settled back into their usual positions.

"So Naruto, how's the memory hunt coming along? Any better this morning?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "At least now I can place names to faces again. Most of the time anyway. Personal details and stuff are still pretty damn hazy, but its getting better."

"That's better then nothing."

"YOUTH!!" bellowed Gai as he ran through the open doorway. "I WI--" he saw Kakashi already leaning against the wall and his face dropped. "No!! I was sure that I had beaten you! You have won this time my eternal rival!"

"This wasn't a race you dingbat. If you want a race then race Lee tomorrow."

Dropping into his 'nice-guy' pose, complete with the blindingly bright smile, Gai retorted, "Nonsense Kakashi! This was indeed a legitimate race and there for counts towards our competition! The score now stands at '255-240 in your favor!"

Kakashi sighed deeply, "There's no reasoning with the man..."

"Got that right," agreed Kiba and Naruto.

"I'm... going to... kill you... Gai..." panted Iruka heavily as he leaned on the frame for support.

Kiba and Naruto both jumped up and went to help the half-dead Chuunin to the chair that Lee had just vacated.

"You want some water Iruka-sensei?"

He nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

"Told you not to try and keep up with him 'Ru."

"Shut _pant_ up _pant_ 'Kashi."

Kiba handed the winded man a glass of cool water. "Here you go Sensei."

"Thanks," he said and gulped half the water at once.

"Go easy next time Gai-sensei," admonished Kiba. "You know the only people in Konoha that can keep up with you are Lee and Naruto."

"Hahahahaha!! Such is the power of YOUTH!"

"Can I kill him yet?"

"No."

"Ummm..." Naruto pointed to the very window that Kakashi had come through. There was a messenger bird perch on the sill.

"Oh what now...?" grumbled Kiba as he went and took the message. He broke the seal and read the message. "Hehe, well, I guess seeing Lee speeding past while being chased by Gai, Kakashi, and Iruka makes for an interesting distraction for Tsunade." He handed the note to Lee, who broke into a grin upon finishing.

"What's it say?" asked Naruto impatiently.

"It says : _How many times have I told you not to run full speed down main street unless there's an invasion!?_"

"Oh yeah, gotta love Grandma Tsunade. Only she would waste a messenger hawk for that."

"Gotta love that she knew exactly where to send the poor thing," added Kiba.

"It's Tsunade," said Kakashi shrugged. "The woman's practically psychic."

"No. Aoba, Izumo, Hayate, and Genma are psychic. Tsunade just knows us."

"Okay, why do I suddenly want shout 'All Hail the Psycho-nins' ?"

The entire room blinked.

Lee was the first to get it, "Oh that's right... It's from the Christmas party the year you and Kiba joined ANBU. Aoba had a bit to much to drink and we convinced him to tell us our futures. He told us a bunch of stuff about what was going to happen the first few months of the next year and when he said you and Kiba where both going to be placed on the same ANBU cell you drunkenly screamed 'All Hail The Psycho-nins!' for like twenty minutes."

"But shouldn't I have said 'All Hail the Psychic-nins?"

"Yes, but you like Kotetsu' s version better. Izumo is always getting pissed at him because he calls him a 'psycho-nin' instead of a 'psychic-nin'."

"Ahhhh... that sounds about right."

"You are also a fan of screaming 'Believe it!' after every sentence, intoxicated or not."

"Knew that much already... I'm pretty sure that I ran around the village screaming that for about a week after I came back with my sword."

And with that statement, Naruto did the very thing they'd been trying to avoid all day. He'd violated the #1 rule: Never. EVER. Hint at a story with Lee in the room.

Lee's innate curiosity peaked, eye's gleaming, and grinning broadly, "Heyheyeheyheyheyheyeheyehey!! Tell us how you got your sword! I want to hear everything!!"

Everyone but Naruto face palmed.

Naruto, alarmed at this change in behavior replied with a hesitant, "Ummmm... maybe later?"

Another round of face palming. Rule #2: Never say you'll tell him later.

Lee moved so fast that not even Gai noticed he was gone until he was back and examining the sword.

"Wow!!" he exclaimed with an air of child-like curiosity. "This sword is awesome! Where'd you get it?"

"Uhhh..."

"Hold on... I know that sword."

"Sensei?"

"Give me that Lee."

Lee handed it to him, a questioning look on his face.

Kakashi inspected it for about half a minute. "When'd you get this Naruto?"

"Few years back."

"So wait, you actually went back to the Land of Waves just to get this?"

"No?"

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I wasn't there to get the sword. I was doing work for the local feudal lord. I didn't even know it was there until I went in the forest. I just felt like I had to go to the spot where we buried them and when I saw the sword I pulled it out of the ground. Took one look at it and half remembered the fight so I kept it hoping more would follow."

"Did it?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "But it's a good sword and I wasn't about to let it go to waste. It's saved my tail a few times since I started using it."

"But you knew it was Zabuza's sword, right?"

"I didn't remember his name at first. It wasn't until I was traveling through Kumo that anyone recognized it. Some Cloud chuunin said it looked a lot like Zabuza Momochi's sword and asked for the name of the sword smith that made it for me."

"What'd you tell him?"

"That I got it as payment for work I did for one of the feudal lords in the Wave Country. It was truth enough, so if he'd wanted to look in on it later my story would check."

"So it didn't bother you when you did figure out who's sword it had been?"

"Not really."

Kakashi handed him the sword, "Well, whatever works for you."

Distraction in the form of Shikamaru at the door. "Hey guys," he said, bored sounding. "I see you made it back okay."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Come on in and join the party. Lee's already demanding stories."

"Oh joy..." He ambled inside at his usual leisurely pace and found a nice comfortable spot on the wall to lean against. "I miss anything interesting yet?"

"Well, if your interested in how Naruto ended up being the new owner of Zabuza Momochi's sword then I guess so. If not, then not really."

Shikamaru sighed, "Booooooring."

"How did you turn that into a six syllable word?"

"I work with Izumo on a semi-regular basis."

"Oh."

"How fast exactly has word of his return spread?" asked Iruka, knowing that Ino tells Shikamaru everything.

"Well... last I heard from Ino the count was up to fifteen. All of us and a couple of the other Jounin. Tsunade's going to send word to Gaara tomorrow."

"Given his popularity in the village before he dissapeared, it would only seem logical that the entire populace would be aware of his return at this point."

"I really couldn't care how many people know I'm here... Just as long as there isn't a mob of people after me I'm happy."

"It would be a very different kind of mob then you are used to."

"Yeah... would be the first time there was a mob after you that wasn't intent on killing you."

"Can we not go into that part of my painful childhood right now... that's hard enough to think about on a good day. I'd very much like to leave that for a much later date."

"Yeah... childhood memories are depressing at this point..."

"Eh... my childhood wasn't so bad. Just really boring."

Kiba looked around, "Is it just me or is Gai-sensei really quiet?"

All eyes turn to Gai-sensei...

... who was kneeling by the open window chatting about youth and all things youth-related to a young blue jay.

"Does he do that often?"

"He's getting senile in his old age..." sighed Kakashi as he pulled out a tattered orange copy of 'Icha-Icha Paradise'.

"Can't you go one hour without sticking your nose in one of those Kakashi?"

"Hey, at least I read. Better then Mr. 'I'm-gunna-talk-about-youthfulness-to-all-the-birds-in-the-village-because-my-student-has-finally-and-irrevocably-surpassed-me-in-all-areas'... Or was it Mr. 'My-eternal-rival-has-widened-the-gap-in-the-score-to-the-point-that-I'll-never-catch-up'? I don't remember anymore. "

"Hahahaha!" laughed Gai, already halfway to his nice-guy pose. "I haven't lost yet Kakashi! I will catch up to you soon enough and then we will see who has fallen behind!"

Kiba and Iruka face palmed. Kakashi should know better then to say stuff about Gai with Lee in the room by now...

Lee was on his feet, face livid. "I will not sit here and allow you to insult Gai-sensei!"

"Calm yourself Lee," chuckled Gai. "I take Kakashi's words as both a compliment and a challenge!" He flashed a dazzlingly bright smile.

Lee copied him and the entire room sighed while hiding their eyes from the laser beams that reflected off the oddly matched team's teeth.

"I think I preferred getting glomped by Sakura to watching this."

"I know I prefer listening to Temari babble about shopping with Ino and Sakura over this."

"I'd take stacks of late mission reports over watching the two of them," sighed Iruka as he shook his head and though fondly of his quiet desk in the mission room.

"Anko drunk and pissed at Genma..." was all Kakashi added.

Gai and Lee were well on their way to a full on tearful hug with the beach shore at sunset background by this point.

"Who wants lunch... my treat?" offered Kakashi as an excuse to get the hell out of there.

"I'm in!" they all called as they quickly and quietly snuck out the open window.

--

"I will say this, Snow-nins, total lightweights with taijutsu. Took me all of five minutes to wear the guy out and get the damn scroll from him. That chakra armor is good, and I wouldn't say no if someone ever offered it to me, but they rely too much on it."

"Got that right," agreed Kiba as he sipped the broth of his second bowl of ramen.

They were sitting at the bar of Ichiraku's stand, trading more stories and waiting for Gai and Lee to realize they'd left.

Naruto inhaled the rest of his bowl before continuing, "So anyway, I kick the guy's ass and I headed over to the edge of the glacier to repel back down. I get about a hundred feet and my goddamn ice-axe slips outta place."

"No way!"

"I know right. I'm stuck hanging by one arm and a foot two hundred and something feet above the freaking ice-cold ocean with the other axe just beeeeeeearly hanging on. I had to swing my loose arm around and into the ice-pack pretty damn fast or else I was gunna end up as part of a glacier or something. Course, if I swung too hard or too fast I was gunna lose the last of my grip and fall anyway. Lose-lose situation, right? So I figured what the hell, I'm gunna die either way, and swung that axe for all I was worth. Of course, the sheer power behind the stroke dislodged my other axe and sent me falling to my death."

"How the hell'd you manage not to hit the water?"

"Hehehe, that's the best part. I'd fallen 'bout a hundred feet when a bird comes outta nowhere and nails me in the back. It hit hard enough to slam me into the cliff face and my axe juuuuuuuuuuuuust caught a strong enough lip to stop me. I hang there for all of five minutes, thanking whatever deity up there took pity on me that time and dug my other axe in before starting back down. I got down just as the tide started going out so I had actual land to walk on instead of trying to keep dry walking on the water. Took me all of twenty minute to get to my boat and I was gone."

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn," whistled Kiba, impressed. "You're the only one that can pull shit like that off. If it was me I woulda been swimming with those icebergs."

"Feh, it's good story 'n all, but I don't see the point in getting so worked up over it."

"Yeah, but you don't see the point in getting worked up over anything unless Temari tell you to."

Shikamaru just shrugged.

"So Naruto, tell me about this village you where living in," said Iruka, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Well, not much to tell. They found me floating in the river a few days after I went missing, nursed me back to health, I helped them rebuild their village, they offered me a place to stay 'till my memories came back. I started taking work from a local lord after about a year and started traveling a lot. Got to the point that I was gone for months at a time, but I was always welcome back whenever I was in the area."

"Sounds nice."

"Yeah, it was. This village was tiny, nothing compared to this place. The people were friendly, and they liked me well enough. Kinda suspicious at first, since they didn't know anything bout me. Not that I knew anything about me either, but whatever. I put in enough work in the fields and babysat enough of the kids for them to finally trust me, so they made me an unofficial member of the village. I'd always give them most of my earning from my missions and whatnot, since I never really needed any of it all that often. The lady that had found me in the river, Grandma Yuri, she was the one that gave me a home. I dunno, she never had kids of her own, so she'd kinda adopted the village kids as her own. I dunno why she took me in at first, and I never asked once I got to know her. I guess it's just how she was. She was the one that first figured out I was ANBU, since she was the only one in the village that had done enough traveling in her life to know what an ANBU tattoo looked like. She's also the one that first called me a hunter-nin, and that just kinda became my nickname with the kids. After awhile everyone called me that and it stuck as my impromptu name." He smiled wistfully, remembering those happy days, "She really is the grandmother I never had."

"I seem to remember you saying that about Tsunade once," said Kakashi, speaking for the first time since they'd ordered.

"Yeah, and the Third Hokage was like your Grandfather," added Iruka.

"You're the closest to a dad he's ever had, Iruka-sensei," tossed in Shikamaru.

"And my mom basically adopted you at an early age," finished Kiba. "Yeah, I guess you rounded out a make-shift family pretty well."

"Well, lemmie see if I can get this right... You, Lee, Shikamaru, Choji, and Konohamaru are my brothers; Sakura, Hinata and Tenten are my sisters, right?"

"Close," corrected Kiba. "You're forgetting Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou."

"Right, right," he nodded. "Now I think I remember Sasuke Uchiha being in that group pre-Oorochimaru."

"Yeah, but he coulda fooled everyone with how he acted towards you."

"Yeah, remember that part okay." He though for a moment, "Tell me about Itachi Uchiha."

Significant glances are shared between everyone but Naruto.

"I know that look, tell me what happened."

"Itachi was... he was... oh damn, how to put it..."

"That's a really complicated story Naruto."

"I don't need all of it, just parts. Itachi's so wrapped up with Sasuke that there isn't much missing."

"What do you want to know then?"

"He was framed right, for killing his clan."

"Actually, he did kill them. Not the entire clan though, just half. It was on the Hokage's orders anyway. He did it to prevent a coup that his father was plotting. He had a hidden agenda though, and it was a good thing he did or else you probably wouldn't be here right now. See, the half the clan that was planning the coup was also planning on killing you. Sorta a misguided idea that your father didn't really defeat Kyuubi when he sealed him in you, just delayed the villages destruction. They felt that once you where old enough to tap the power, Kyuubi would posses you and use your body to finished what he'd started. The other half, mostly the younger ones that knew you and could see that you weren't a danger to anyone wanted to protect you from the wrath of the insane Uchiha's. They essentially started a civil-war within the clan, but were defeated by the more powerful Jounin elders. Course, had Itachi actually been in the village at the time they would probably have won, but he was on an ANBU mission then. He came back the day after the massacre, saw that half the clan was dead, realized which half it was, ran to the Third Hokage, told him what had happened, he ordered him to stop the rest of the Uchiha's. Itachi, with the help of Madara Uchiha, killed every single living member of his clan save for Sasuke."

"Wait, Madara Uchiha? Why is that familiar?"

"I'll get to that in a second. Anyway, when Sasuke confronted him about why he'd killed the entire clan, he gave him some lame ass excuse about how he should hate him, resent him, grow stronger so he could defeat him and left. He joined the Akatsuki to funnel information about them and Oorochimaru to Jiraiya-sama. I don't know how many times he stopped Akatsuki from killing all of us, even though he was half dead from disease and the toll of his Mangekyou Sharingan. Saved Sasuke's ungrateful ass in the end, gave him an incomplete form of his Amaterasu in order to kill Madara and the little bastard used it on you three or four times. Course, he gave you better powers, but you didn't know that until the next time you tapped Kyuubi's powers and used your Demon Cloak."

"Itachi gave me some of his powers?"

"Yeah," nodded Kiba. "See, a sufficiently powerful Sharingan is able to fully control Kyuubi's power. Madara Uchiha was the first with that power, Itachi and Sasuke where the second, third, and last to have it. Itachi's ability was different from Sasuke's though, since he never archived the same level of Sharingan as Sasuke did. Neither did Madara now that I think about it. Anyway, he figured out how to transfer that ability to you, along with some of his more powerful personal jutsu. Before he did that, if you went beyond your one-tails state in the Demon Cloak you started going nuts. After four you'd lose yourself completely and start destroying everything. After Itachi transfered his powers to you, you could harness the full power of Kyuubi with no ill effect to your mind. If not for that, you never would have beaten Sasuke in the end. Even though Sasuke was blinder then Itachi had been and his body was falling apart from the strain of his Sharingan and the left over damage from Oorochimaru's curse seal, he still had several jutsu that would have killed you in an instant."

"Huh..."

"Yeah, it wasn't until after your final battle with Sasuke that Tsunade released the information about Itachi to the public. He went form one of the most hated traitors in the history of the village to one of it's greatest hero's over night."

"Damn..." said Naruto, still absorbing what Kiba had told him.

"Anything else you want to know?"

"Not right now. That's enough to try and take in at once."

"Yeah, now is a good time to stop that story."

"Back to what you've been doing for the last few years," said Iruka in a obvious ploy to get everyone cheered back up after the depressing subject of Itachi was finished. "You mentioned that you babysat the kids in the village."

"Yeah, most of them at one time or another. Some of them are still young enough to not remember a time when I wasn't around. I dunno, they were good kids. Hardworking, fun-loving, loyal, honest. A couple of them had a talent for the ninja arts. I was sort-a-kinda apprenticing about 5 of them before Kiba and Neji found me."

"Really? How far did you get with them?"

"Eh... maybe final year academy level. They prolly could qualified as Genin if you overlooked the lack of village history. Since, yanno, they aren't from a ninja village."

"Heheh, you always did make a good teacher _Uzumaki-sensei_," chided Genma as he ducked under the ceiling hangings and sat down in one of the few remaining empty seats. "I still remember thinking that Iruka had lost his mind when he first told me that you'd accepted that part-time teaching job at the academy."

Naruto stared at him for a moment before noticing the senbon he was chewing on. "Genma Shiranui, right?"

"Last time I checked, yeah."

"Still sucking on senbon, eh?"

"Always."

"That's gotta be a good sign if he's getting full names without help now."

"It's the senbon I remembered more then him."

"Whatever works for ya kid. But I am glad to see you back. Been really boring without you around."

"Yeah, Kotetsu said the same thing last night."

"That's because, sadly enough, it's true," replied Raidou as he ducked inside and settled down next to Genma. "Knew I'd find you here."

"You where looking for me?"

"Yeah, Aoba's flipping out cause you left him alone at the missions desk again. Asked Kotetsu to cover for you. Owe him and Izumo lunch tomorrow. Izumo's been craving kabocha the last few days."

"Ugh... alright, I'll make him his damn stew."

"Smart man. He's still a little pissed at you over interrupting them day before last."

"Oh my god! How many times can I tell him I'm sorry before he'll give it up. Not my fault they where making out in the same alley I wanted to hide in," he grumbled.

"Think about it idiot. If the tables where reversed would you let it go so fast? Not to mention the fact that it's about the 30th time that's happened this month."

"Not my fault we use the same hiding places."

"Wanna borrow a few of mine," tossed in Kakashi.

"Whoa, you'd actually tell me your hiding places?"

"Only if you agree to stop peeking outside our window every other night."

"Damn, you drive a tough bargain."

"Are they always like this?" whispered Naruto.

Amused and trying not to laugh, "Yeah... most of the time..."

"Huh... I have weird friends."

"You're tellin' me," chuckled Kiba as Genma tried and failed to renegotiate the terms on the table.

"What a drag..." sighed Shikamaru. He pulled out his wallet and paid for his lunch, "I gotta go. Exam Proctor meeting in half an hour."

"See ya later Shikamaru."

"Yeah... later," he called over his shoulder, waving boredly.

"So... miss anything interesting yet?" asked Raidou as he returned to his normal routine of ignoring Genma when he was arguing with Kakashi.

"Just telling everyone stories about the stuff I've been doing the last few years."

"You missed him telling us about how he nearly fell off the side of a 400 foot glacier," clarified Kiba.

"How'd you manage to nearly fall off the side of a glacier?"

"'Ice-axes don't always work like they should?"

"Ahhh," nodded the Jounin. "Should have used the Ice Wall Climb Jutsu instead of axes."

"There's a climbing jutsu for ice walls?"

"I guess you don't remember it then," said Raidou. "I seem to remember you being pretty good at it at one time."

"I was...? Huh... I need to make a list of jutsu I can remember and have you guys tell me what I'm missing."

"Like any of us know all of them. My god Naruto, you've got more secret jutsu then most clans do, not to mention all the stuff that the Toad Sages taught you when you went off to train with them after Jiriaya died."

"Ugh... I hate not being to remember anything..."

"Don't stress so much kid," said Genma, apparently finished arguing with Kakashi. "Give it time. It'll come back soon enough. Meanwhile, enjoy the paid vacation."

"Yeah... paid vacation is a rarity for active ANBU, trust me. In the 6 years I was active ANBU, I got all of three weeks leave. And most of that was spent strapped to a hospital bed with a 105 fever and pneumonia."

"Feh, I doubt Tsunade would let me stay ANBU, even if I get everything back eventually."

"Never know," he added, senbon flipping to the other side of his mouth. "You and Kiba here make one of the best two-man cells ANBU's had since Rai and I retired. They might just be persuaded to let you back in."

"Man's got a point there Naruto. The two of you were tied with us for highest successful two-man cell mission percentage. Hell, you guys where about three weeks away from tying with Kakashi's record. Another few months and you would have beaten Itachi Uchiha's and been hailed as the greatest team we've ever had."

"Okay, please tell me I can still pull rank and see my own file, cause I really wanna read up on all the stuff I did now."

"Good luck with that. I can't even pull your file it's so highly classified. Mine's not even in that league."

"I can get your records pre-ANBU, but you're on your own for anything after that."

"Well damn..."

"Anyway, I heard a rumor from Shizune while I was up in the mission room," said Raidou.

"Oh yeah? Rumor about what?"

"They've got a party planed for you sometime tomorrow," replied Genma.

"Eh? I thought it was tonight?"

"Sakura's is, yeah. Kinda ticked me off though 'cause she's only inviting your old crew." He nibbled on the end of his senbon for a second before continuing, "Naw, your Jounin and ANBU buddies are working on something."

"Really? That ought a be interesting. Who's going?"

"Us obviously. Tetsu and Zumo too. Neji's another obvious one. He working on a way to get out of tonights actually. Anyway, Kotetsu was supposed to tell Kakashi, but I guess I get to do that. Yeah, you're going if we have to drag you ya lazy pervert," he said to Kakashi, who was grinning wickedly at his book with Iruka shaking his head next to him. "Iruka, you're welcome to come too if you want. Aoba's got tommarow off so he's gunna be setting everything up, and Hayate should be getting back sometime tonight. If Asuma and Kurenai can find a babysitter they'll be there too. Actually Iruka, you know anyone that can stand three hyper-active kids at once?"

"Maybe one of the other academy teachers. If all else fails I can watch them. They behave well enough with me, and Haruka's been asking for extra help with her transformations, so I could give her a little tutoring while I'm there. And anyway, I'm going to be there tonight with them so it's not like I'd be missing out on much."

"Want me to just tell them that you'll watch them?"

"Might as well. As long as you guys make sure Kakashi doesn't try and drink Izumo under the table like last time I have no problems with it."

"Thanks man. You're Asuma's life-savor."

"It's no problem really. They aren't so much hyper-active as just easily bored. Keep them occupied and they're easier then Naruto ever was."

"Naruto always was the image of hyper-activity," chuckled Kiba. "You always where one of the only ones with more energy then me..."

"The other being Lee," finished Iruka. "You and Naruto gave me hell. Lee at least behaved."

"Maybe so, but we turned out alright, didn't we?"

"Minus the disappearing for years part, yeah."

"Well, I'd better drag Genma back before Kotetsu gets pissed enough at Aoba to tell Shizune he's skipping out of duty again," said Raidou as he stood up, grabbing the back of Genma's vest. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Raiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" protested Genma as he was dragged off his comfortable stool.

"Behave or else I'm cutting you off for the rest of the week."

That shut him up.

"Nice one Rai."

"Helps to know what shuts him up." He hauled Genma to his feet and shoved him outside. "Again, see you guys tomorrow"

"Later," said Kiba and Naruto at the same time, earning amused grins from everyone.

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd do that again," chuckled Iruka as he reached and took Kakashi's book away so the Jounin'd pay attention.

Kakashi whimpered and tried pathetically to take the book back. "Come on Iruka! I was just getting to the good part."

"Watch it or else I'm going to start taking a page out of Raidou's book."

"Butbutbut... no!!"

Naruto blinked, amazed at his ex-sensei's behavior, "Wow... never actually seen a grown man beg like that."

"Heheh... He always does that when Iruka-sensei takes his book away. "

The aformentioned Jounin was still whimpering and trying to reach the book, which was being held as far away from him as Iruka's shorter arms could manage while still restraining him. "I said no Kakashi. And don't think I won't take the rest of them away either."

"Humph," grumbled the defeated pervert.

"Only you can stop him that easily."

"If I tried that, I'd be dead."

"Like Raidou said, helps knowing what shuts them up."

"Was I ever like that?"

"Only with ramen."

"Oh... good."

"Well, I'd better go help Raidou save Aoba from his current waking nightmare. That man cannot go more then an hour without losing his mind when you make him man the mission desk. Kinda almost makes me not want to take a day off."

"But not enough not to, right?" saids Kakashi, visible eyebrow quirked and a grin on his face.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're bi-polar 'Kashi..." sighed Iruka.

"You know you love it," he teased.

"And there he goes again... I'm guessing it's time for us to go kick Lee and Gai outta our house," added Kiba, shaking his head while Naruto watched them with a look that said 'I came back to this, why?'

"Probably a good idea. For all we know if you let them stay in mushy-hugging mode for too long the background become permanent."

"I think I'd kill them if that ever happened." He tossed a few bills on the bar and patted Naruto's shoulder. "Come on, let's get home."

Naruto nodded, "Okay."

--

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"Oh man... they haven't left yet. I swear to ever single deity that has ever existed, if that damn background is permanent I'm going to kill them both."

"Chill Kiba. I'm sure if all else fails you can just build a false wall in front of it or something."

"I'd agree with that accept I know from experience that the damn thing melts through anything you stick in front of it because it cannot stand not to be seen by everyone and anything that has eyes, alive or dead."

"Seriously?"

"You have no idea," he sighed, shaking his head at the state of his living room. Yep, full on tearful hug with the beach sunset background. Hell it was so real that the area rug had sand on it. "Fer fucks sake..." he grumbled as he back-tracked to the hallway and grabbed his pack. He dug inside for his bottle of soldier pills. Popping the bottle open, he swiped a pill and walked back into the other room. "I'm only going to say this once: take the show somewhere else or I'm gunna drag you both outside myself and then Akamaru and I are gunna go Fang over Fang on you both."

The two men stopped their insane water-works long enough to look at Kiba. Seeing the dead-seriousness in his gaze, they released the hug and the sunset beach scene faded back into nothingness.

"Better. Now, since you," he pointed to Lee, "have to go help your wife plan and shop for tonight, I'd suggest hightailing it outta here before she comes and gets you herself. And you," he pointed at Gai, "Have a Genin team that you are supposed to be training with today. And I know that they are already slacking off because we walked right past them on the way back here. I would suggest looking for them at Ichiraku's. Barring that, hit the Yamanaka flower shop, since I'm pretty damn sure that Kiesuke's got a massive crush on Kiara and is planning on asking her out something this week." Taking a breath finally, he continued, "Clear enough for ya guys?"

The fact that he wasn't hiding the soldier pill in his hand and that Akamaru had wondered in from outside and was watching intently let them know it was time to disappear. Fast.

Gai poofed! out of existence with what had to the be the fastest use of the teleportation jutsu in the history of it's existence.

Lee, smiling again already, "Okay, bye Kiba, Naruto. See you tonight..." and was gone out the open back door in a flash.

"We have the weirdest friends..." blinked Naruto as Kiba chuckled.


End file.
